Savior
by Fiery Wordess
Summary: About a girl with nothing going for her but a genuine smile and some supportive parents. She's certainly flawed, because... well... she's me.
1. Suckdom of Life

_(Author's Note: This would not have been posted because this character represents me at age nine. So technically, she is me and a lot of secrets. This story is something I thought up when Harry Potter first came out and I was still in the hospital. I am now sixteen and the fantasy still makes me feel better in situations I don't care to think of. If there is anything in here you don't feel I explained adequately, feel free to say so, e-mail or review and I'll explain it as much as I can. After all, this is written pretty much for me. I hope you can enjoy it. My friend, Aimee, encouraged me to post this, so I take that as a good sign :-) _

She had chubby cheeks, pale skin smattered with freckles, short, nose-length hair, large glasses and a silver-lined smile. No one could really consider her beautiful, but there was something about her constant grinning that people found attractive. While most people liked her, she held little in the way of love for herself. Though Kate's cheeks were continually spread in a smile, her heart weighed heavy with the dull ache of the past, present, and inevitable future.

Two diseases and now this accursed medication; it felt like insult added to injury. Even months later, she still held bitterness towards her doctor for choosing prednisone. Prior to the vile medicine, she had endured weeks of pain and humiliation. While the physical pain was gone, the humiliation had only intensified.

The smile that usually adorned her face had dissipated while she packed up her belongings. Alone time was her time to cry and sit on the pity pot. Kate didn't want people to know how sorry she felt for herself, so they didn't. Not only did she have a million physical problems, but she was losing her friends and a world she knew. Dr. Slate, her father, had decided it was time to move to another country. England. Kate folded up another shirt and laid it gently in her suitcase.

_At least they speak English there,_ she thought a bit bitterly to herself.

"Hey, jolly cheeks," her younger sister, Meghan, burst into the room, barely pausing to knock. Kate forced a laugh, taking her glasses off to wipe her eyes quickly. "Almost done?"

"Yup." She put one more shirt in and closed up her bag.

"Mom says it's time for dinner."

"'Kay." Kate sighed when Meghan left the room, poking a "jolly" cheek miserably. She shook herself, put on a smile, and went down for dinner.

"_Bienvenue à __Privet Drive__._" Kate's father said in French. He looked in the rearview mirror and was rewarded with a broad grin from Kate.

"The houses here are all the same," Meghan complained in a whiny tone.

"It's a nice neighborhood," her mother reprimanded gently, "we're very fortunate to be able to live here."

Meghan crossed her arms and pouted.

Kate saw her father's face sag slightly in disappointment.

"Well, I like it." Kate lied. Dr. Slate's face lit up. Meghan shot Kate a dirty look and mouthed _fatty_.

Kate stared sullenly at her lap and refused to allow the tears to come to her eyes. Before she knew it, they had pulled up to their new house.

It was certainly a nice house by any standards, but the neighborhood sort of camouflaged it. If anything, seeing it only made her want to cry more. She shook her head and tried to think of something else.

_I wonder how I'll find it again if I ever leave,_ Kate thought to herself. _Guess I'd better just remember the number. _Eight Privet Drive. Oh what a thrill. Kate sighed and got out of the car. Her legs appreciated the stretch even if she was sleepy. Her father led them enthusiastically into the house.

After Kate and Meghan had looked at their bedrooms, which were both dull and uninteresting, their father showed them the rest of the house.

"Look, isn't this cool? There's a closet under the stairs!" Mary Jane Slate, their mother, said brightly. "I could shove one of you in here if I got irritated. Heheh." She laughed in a mock-evil way.

"Would you now?" Kate asked, smirking.

"I can take you." Mrs. Slate put her fists up.

"Now, now, I'd sit on you and the whole fight would be over." Kate waved her hand dismissively.

Mrs. Slate had to stifle a laugh. She suspected that Kate was deeply sensitive about her weight, no matter how much she joked about it.

"Kate, it'll be off soon. You've been weaning and soon you'll be off." Mary Jane said softly. She pulled Kate into a tight hug.

"Mom, I know." Kate said, hugging her mother back. "It's okay. Really."

"Mom, Ole Jolly Cheeks doesn't care." Meghan said inconsiderately.

Kate bit her lip and then smiled goofily. "You know, I'm tired," she cut her mother off. "I think I'll hit the sack early tonight, 'kay?"

"I'm a little tired too." Her mother agreed. "I think I'll take a nap."

"But there's still so much to do!" Dr. Slate cried.

"Terry, Thorbes, it can wait until later. The clothes won't run off."

"I don't want to sleep." Meghan whined.

"You don't have to." Kate said to her with a bit of harshness.

"Jeez, you don't have to snap at me." Meghan frowned at her.

"I'm just sleepy. Bye." Kate went up to her room and closed the door.

The next morning, after strenuous and tedious hours spent unpacking and arranging, Kate announced that she was going to go for a walk.

"What about lunch?" Her mother asked.

"I'm not hungry." She lied. Kate sometimes tried to starve herself to trick the prednisone. When she had first gone on the medicine she had found herself inexplicably starving. No matter how much she ate she was never full! Accredited to the foul medication, Kate decided that was how it had made her twenty-five pounds heavier.

"Oh, all right then." Mary Jane headed into the kitchen and started making peanut-butter sandwiches. "Don't get lost."

"Number eight. No worries." Kate imitated the crocodile hunter.

"We're in England, not Australia." Dr. Slate mock-scolded. "I hope these British schools do better than those-."

"Bye Dad!" And she stepped quickly out the door. She was dressed in her "fat clothes." Her overalls were baggy on her and so was her shirt. She felt like a regular bag lady. The sky was cloudy as ever and she greatly appreciated it. Having extremely sensitive skin, Kate was not one to dwell in the sun. That was one good attribute to England, she had decided. Kate was definitely a rainy-weather kind of person.

_Gods, I live in Pleasantville! _All of the neighbors were out washing their cars, tending to their perfect gardens, painting fences or just sitting inside doing who-knows-what. There was neither hide nor hair of a person her age. She would surely die of boredom in such a stiff environment.

Turning to the left, she continued around the neighborhood. Boring. Then, she saw an older lady sprawled on her front lawn with tartan slippers on and four cats around her. She kept saying things to her cats, not caring who watched. Kate was so happy to see someone who seemed… _human_… in this neighborhood that she grinned broadly at the woman.

The woman caught her eye and smiled back. "Hello, dear."

"Hi." Kate said sociably.

"Pull of a spot of grass." The older woman pat the ground next to her.

"Thanks." Kate sat at a reasonable distance from the woman. A cat sniffed her and purred approvingly.

"What's your name?"

"Kate. Kate Slate."

"Ah, it rhymes, how wonderful."

Kate smiled, blushing slightly.

"My name is Arabella Doreen Figg. But you can call me Mrs. Figg."

"That's an awesome name." Kate grinned. "I wish mine were so-."

"Long?" Mrs. Figg cut her off grinning.

"I was going to say original. I mean, Kate and Slate are two very common names in America."

"Not so much in England, my dear. You're from the States, are you?"

"Yeah."

"Welcome to Jolly England." Mrs. Figg said amiably.

"Thank you." Kate smiled again.

"How do you like Privet Drive?"

"Um… it's certainly a _nice _neighborhood…."

"But it's dreadfully boring, isn't it?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of dreadfully boring, hm." Mrs. Figg smirked at Kate.

"Okay, it's just dreadfully boring then." Kate replied laughing a bit.

"I agree. You must come and visit if you ever feel the desire for a bit of British company."

"Thank you, I undoubtedly will."

"Good. Well, I'm headed inside. Until we meet again, Kate."

"Bye Mrs. Figg."

Mrs. Figg bounced up from the ground and walked into her house, her cats trailing behind her. Kate's mood was considerably brightened after this encounter. She stood and left Mrs. Figg's yard. She wandered further down the neighborhood. There was a large blonde boy perched on a bicycle beside three other boys, who were also on bikes. Her heart jumped as she realized that they were close to her own age. She smiled at them, but they were focused elsewhere. Sighing, Kate continued up the road and turned back to her street, feeling a bit queasy. She saw another boy walking ruefully alone down the road.

Her heart skipped a beat. Someone else her age! And he was alone, making him a bit more approachable. He was watching his feet and his hair, which was jet black and insanely messy, was bouncing on every other step.

She sped up and upon closer inspection found he was quite skinny. Kate was afraid suddenly to speak to him. She had once been a skinny girl, but now she felt like three of what she used to be. Self-conscious, but determined, Kate caught up to him.

"Hi." She grinned.

"Hi." The boy looked up at her. He had taped glasses, bright green eyes, and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

"I'm Kate Slate. I'm new here." She said rather quickly.

"Oh, I'm Harry Potter, and I'm not new at all." He smiled.

Kate sighed. "I'm so glad that I found you. I was beginning to think that no one in this neighborhood was my age." She stopped. "But then again, I don't know how old you are."

"Ten, almost eleven."

"Oh! I'm eleven."

Harry smiled, apparently lost for words.

"I saw a few boys earlier on bicycles, but…."

"Oh. The blonde one's my cousin."

"Does he live nearby?" Kate's mind was racing. That could mean a lot of friends in one neighborhood.

"I live with him." Harry said glumly.

Kate frowned, wondering if it would be polite to ask why.

"My parents died when I was little." He said before she could ask.

"Oh, I'm… really sorry." Her smile faded and her cheeks sagged.

"It's all right." Harry responded. "Don't worry about it." They walked in silence for a moment. "Are you American?"

"Yeah. I am."

"That's cool. Where did you live?"

"New York." Before Harry could open his mouth, she said "Not the city. A Podunk place called Horseheads."

"Never heard of it." Harry frowned.

"Of course not. Nobody has." She laughed. "Where are you going to school this year?"

"Stonewall."

"Is it private?"

"No…." He trailed off. "Why would it be?"

"Well, I thought we'd go to the same school since we live in the same area and if it's public…."

"Girls and boys don't school together."

"Why not?" Kate asked quickly.

"Dunno." Harry shrugged. "Just the way it is, I guess."

"Weird. D'you know anything about Lexington?"

"It's the girl's high school."

"Thanks." Kate said sarcastically, still grinning.

Harry laughed. "I really don't. Sorry."

"S'ok." Kate felt very dizzy. She remembered that she hadn't eaten lunch. What a foolish thing. When she didn't eat she was near to fainting, and she had hoped to overcome that. Kate looked at her watch. "Oops. I've overstayed my outdoor-welcome. I've got to go. It was really nice meeting you Harry. I'll see you around."

"Yeah." Harry smiled earnestly at her. "Yeah, I'll see you 'round."

"Meet anyone?" Her mother asked over dinner. Kate was trying to eat slowly, but her stomach was giving her woes.

"Yeah. I met a guy named Harry Potter, and a woman named Mrs. Figg. They're really nice." She took a sip of water.

"There's no ice." Meghan complained again.

"I'm glad you've found friends." Dr. Slate said, deliberately ignoring Kate's younger sister.

"There's no ice." Meghan said louder.

"Are you eight or are you three?" Dr. Slate rebuked her.

Meghan stuck her lower lip out. "Why don't you ever ask Kate that?"

"Because I'm obviously not eight." Kate smiled benignly.

"You know what I mean." Meghan cried.

"Your sister, unlike you, acts her age, if not older." Dr. Slate said emphatically.

"It's just 'cause she's fat, isn't it? You feel bad for her 'cause she eats a lot." Meghan started trying to make Kate feel like crap, and was succeeding beautifully.

"Meghan Elizabeth Slate!" Her father and mother chimed.

"Meghan, _shut up._" Kate slammed her fork down. "You try this stinking disease and then say that, you stupid… ugh. I'm going upstairs." She stormed up the stairs, too angry and hurt to be civil. Sprawling herself over her bed, she imagined Meghan breaking her chair and thinking she was fat. Then she'd think twice about insulting Kate for something she couldn't control. Oh yes. Kate thought she heard a crunch from downstairs, but wasn't sure. As she drifted off into an uneasy sleep, she thought she heard a cry and some squealing.

As it turned out, Meghan's chair had broken. Kate didn't know this until later the next day because immediately after pill-popping and eating, she left the house in search of Harry Potter. She didn't have to be outside for long before finding the baggily-clad boy. His clothes were baggy for another reason. He was extremely skinny. Hers were baggy because she knew she looked extremely pudgy.

"Hey." She called out.

"Hello." He grinned broadly. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, and you?"

"All right." He shrugged. They started walking, sensing the other's dark feelings.

"Don't answer if you don't want," she said after awhile, "but how did you get your scar? I mean, it's not an ordinary shape."

"Car crash."

"The one your parents…?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"It's a cool scar, though bad by association, I guess."

He smiled. "It is a cool scar." He reached up to touch it.

"Lightning."

"Oh yes."

"So, what do you do to have fun around here?" Kate asked after another pause.

"Walk around, in my case. Beat people in Dudley's."

"Who's Dudley?"

"Oh, right. My cousin."

"The blonde one?"

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"You don't like him, do you?" Kate more stated this than asked.

"No." They turned the corner. Mrs. Figg was walking around her lawn and suddenly Harry grabbed Kate's arm and forced her to turn away.

"What? What's wrong?"

"That woman is batty." He whispered.

"I think she's funny." Kate frowned.

"She's never babysat you." Harry said fervently.

"I'll take your word for it." Kate suppressed a smile.

"You'll be happiest that way. I have to go to her house later today so that Dudley can get his uniform. Smeltings. The private school."

"Oh. I think I have to get a uniform soon too."

Harry shrugged. "Probably."

"Harry!" A shrill cry rang out. "Get in here this instant!"

Harry's face blanched.

"Who's that?"

"I've got to go. Aunt Petunia calls." He waved and ran off.

Kate headed reluctantly home. That was when she discovered Meghan's broken chair.

Dinner that night was a somber affair. Meghan kept her mouth firmly shut and Dr. Slate kept shooting her warning looks. Mary Jane tried to keep conversation flowing, but nobody was in the mind to help.

"Oh, we have to pick up your uniforms tomorrow and…." Her mother trailed off, listening to something. "Did you just hear something come through the mail slot?"

"Yeah." Kate stopped eating and looked down the hall. There was an envelope lying on the floor. "I'll go look." She stood and walked slowly down the hall, half-expected a bomb. She picked the envelope up. It was made of a heavy, parchment-like material and was written on in shining green ink. Where the return address would have been was a seal with a letter H encircled by a snake, a lion, a badger and a raven.

The ink read:

**Ms. K. Slate**

**The Kitchen**

**8 Privet Drive******

**Little Whinging **

**Surrey******

"What is it?" Mrs. Slate called.

"A… a letter."

"Really? Is it a welcome letter?"

"No. It's just to me." Kate's heart was pounding harder than usual as she looked at it. How could the writer know she was in the kitchen? Did they just assume as much because she was chubby? Was somebody stalking her? She brought the letter slowly back to the kitchen with her.

"To you? Who's writing to you?" Her sister asked, jumping up from her seat, ending her self-forced silence.

"I don't know."

"Open it!" Meghan squealed. "Pretty ink." She commented quietly.

Kate broke the seal and pulled the letter out hesitantly.

Her mouth dropped as her eyes scanned the page.

"What? What is it?"

"Hogwarts School of…" she swallowed, "Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Huh?"

"Read what it says." Dr. Slate said, eyebrows knit closely together. "I don't have my glasses."

"'Dear Ms. Slate, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September first. We await your owl by no later than July thirty-first.'" Kate lowered the paper. "Owl? What?"

The family looked vastly confused.

"Must be some sort of joke…." Dr. Slate said softly.

"Weird." Meghan said, taking the letter and flipping to the necessary equipment. "Dragon-hide gloves? A magic wand? A cauldron?"

"May I have a look?" Mrs. Slate asked tentatively. Meghan handed the letter to her mother. She scanned the letter then asked, "Who's Minerva McGonagall?"

_Pop!_

The Slate family leapt as… someone popped into the kitchen!

"Ah!" Mrs. Slate cried out, jumping out of her seat.

A rather severe looking woman stood before them, dressed in an emerald cloak, square spectacles, and a formal bun. Her lips were pursed as she surveyed the family.

"Who… who are you?" Dr. Slate jumped out of his chair.

"Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Kate's eyes were wide as saucers.

"Witches aren't real." Meghan said bluntly.

McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. "They aren't? Then what is Kathryn?"

"A human." Meghan sounded unsure and frightened.

"She's that too." McGonagall nodded.

"Kate's a witch?" Meghan looked awed.

Kate's mouth fell open.

"That explains a lot." Dr. Slate frowned. "Jane, remember the first time the nurse tried to put an I.V. in and the first three disappeared?"

"How could I forget?" Mrs. Slate smiled. "And there was the time she and Meghan got into a fight and Meghan's hair turned green for two weeks."

"I didn't like that." Meghan frowned. "That was your fault?"

Kate blushed, remembering her wish that something would happen to Meghan, and watching her brush her lovely blonde hair.

"Therefore you understand what she is capable and why you should be sending her." Professor McGonagall said staring directly at Dr. Slate.

"I… I don't know if that's such a good idea." Dr. Slate looked troubled.

"It will help her to control her powers and will welcome her to her own world."

"Do you want to go?" Mrs. Slate asked Kate.

"I… yeah. I do." Kate nodded resolutely.

"Where is this school?"

"Scotland." McGonagall responded.

"Oh! But Kate will need her medication and-"

"For her ulcerative colitis?" McGonagall asked, lips pursed slightly. "Our school nurse, Madam Pomfrey, is an excellent mediwitch and will have no problems curing her."

Kate gasped. "Really?! Really?! I can get off the prednisone?!"

McGonagall nodded, looking as though she were forcing herself not to smile.

Dr. and Mrs. Slate looked at one another with broad grins on their faces.

"But where is she going to get this stuff?" Meghan asked, thrusting the list forward.

"Diagon Alley. You will have to go by the Muggle route, of course."

"The what?"

"Muggles, it's the word for non-magic peoples." McGonagall explained. "If you go to London, Kate will be able to see a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Go inside and ask Tom, the bartender, to get you into Diagon Alley."

"Wait, let me write all of this down." Mrs. Slate jumped up and grabbed a pad of paper. "By the way, my name is Mary Jane." She introduced herself to McGonagall. She held her hand out and McGonagall took it. "This is Terry and Meghan." Dr. Slate also shook McGonagall's hand, looking amazed to be finding this out about a magical world and his daughter's involvement.

"You can call me Minerva, but Kate must call me Professor McGonagall."

Kate nodded, eyes bright with excitement.

Professor McGonagall gave Mrs. Slate thorough directions to Diagon Alley, telling her what to do once inside as well.

"I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts. I hope you are prepared to work hard. I will see you in September." With another pop, McGonagall left.

Kate looked from her father, to her mother, to her sister and back again. They all had a look of amazement on their faces.

"I'm a witch!" Kate finally said. Everyone burst out laughing.


	2. Diagon Alley woo

The next morning her father decided to be the one to take her to Diagon Alley.  Meghan still needed to get her own supplies for school, so Mary Jane took her to the stores.  Kate got dressed quickly and practically flew down the stairs. 

She was magical and she was going to be cured!  No more stinking diseases!  No more horrible prednisone!  No more enemas or colonoscopies!  She skipped to her father's car.  He was almost as excited as she was.  She was grinning broadly at him as they backed out of the driveway. 

"I've never been to London."  Dr. Slate explained as they drove out.  "So this will be a very interesting experience for both of us."  Kate saw Harry Potter sitting forlorn in his front lawn.  She waved to him and he returned the gesture, smiling faintly at her.

"It's so weird that we're driving on the left side of the road."  Kate said as they continued.  "England's a strange place."

"No stranger than America."  Her father corrected her. 

"I guess."  She looked out the window.  "This isn't a dream, is it?"

"I hope not."  Dr. Slate said, grinning.  "Here's London."  Dr. Slate pointed to the city ahead of them. 

"William Shakespeare used to work here."  Kate said absent-mindedly.  "There's Big Ben.  Nifty." 

Dr. Slate laughed and pulled into a parking lot.  The parking meter demanded change for two hours. 

"We should have taken the Underground."  Dr. Slate said, forking some change over.  "All right, let's come back in two hours and repay."  Dr. Slate looked down at the piece of paper his wife had given him for directions. 

People bustled down the street, looking from shop to shop.  On the corner of the street, there was a grimy little bar, but Dr. Slate looked right by it.

"Aren't we supposed to go to the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Yes."

"Dad, you're about to go by it."

"What?"

"The Leaky Cauldron."  Kate pointed.

"I don't see anything."

"Come with me."  She took her father's hand and pulled him inside.

"Whoa."  Dr. Slate was jolted.  Inside it was dark and dingy and as they entered many faces peeped up to look at them.  Kate smiled unsurely at them and was rewarded with many smiles.  There was a man who caught her attention before the rest.  He was twice the height of an average man and at least three times as wide.  He nodded to her and she nodded back.  At the bar was a toothless old man. 

"The name's Tom.  Can I help you fine people?" 

"Terry."  He reached across the bar to shake Tom's hand.  "My daughter, Kathryn, has just been accepted to Hogwarts and we need help getting into Diagon Alley."

"Ah, yes, this way."  Tom walked out from behind the bar and took them into a walled back-way outside.  He pulled out a stick.  A wand.  And tapped the wall three times with this wand. 

The brick quivered and kind of wriggled and a small hole began to appear.  It started growing, wider and wider and soon they were facing an archway large enough for a van to go through.  They were facing a street full of shops bustling with people wearing robes and pointy hats. 

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!"  Tom said.  "Must get back to the bar.  Gringotts is that way;" he pointed ahead, "the rest is rather self-explanatory."  Tom waved and left, leaving Kate and Dr. Slate to stare in awe at the busy street before them.

"Whoa."  That was all that could be said.  Swallowing, Kate stepped through the archway, followed by her father.  Kate adjusted her glasses on her nose, licked the bar of her retainer and pulled down on her shirt. 

"Gringotts."  Dr. Slate said.  "That's the wizard bank."  But he stopped talking to stare at all of the shops.  What amazing contraptions were inside!  In one shop there were signs advertising "dragon hide" and "unicorn hairs" another boasted "every book you'll ever want!"  Whizzing silver machines and elaborate feather pens were on display.

"Eleven sickles for an old cauldron!  Still in mint condition!"  A witch was crying from a store entrance. 

"Sickles?"  Kate whispered to her father.

"Magical currency, maybe."  He guessed.  "Let's go to Gringotts." 

The doors were guarded by two short, warty creatures with large noses, pointed beards, long fingers and feet, and a very calculating look in their clever eyes.  The doors were bronze and glinted in the morning sunlight. 

The creatures bowed and allowed them through the doors.  They were then faced by another pair of doors, silver this time.  There was a poem engraved on the doors:

_E__nter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

Dr. Slate and Kate gave one another sideways glances, agreeing silently that they were both intimidated.  They pushed these doors carefully open and found themselves in a grand marble hall. 

"Shock after shock."  Kate muttered to her father.  "Where do we go?"  There were so many doors and a long, high counter with countless creatures weighing jewels, writing notes, examining coins and speaking with people. 

"_Suivez__-moi, mademoiselle._"

"Dad, how can you think of French at a time like this?"

"_Je ne __sais__ pas._"  Dr. Slate shrugged and held Kate's shoulder as he walked to a creature that was seemingly available at the time.  "Good morning."  He said jovially.  "Is there a way to transfer money from a muckle-"

"Muggle," Kate corrected.

"-Muggle bank account into a wizard account?  My daughter has been accepted to Hogwarts and it'd be good to have the proper currency."  He put his hand on Kate's shoulder proudly. 

The creature looked skeptically at Dr. Slate and his daughter then looked down at a ledger.  Kate worried that they had been too informal or that it didn't speak English.

"Yes," it said after awhile, "of course.  There is a safe open, but I will require the name of your Muggle bank, and the number of the account and some identification."  It looked grimly at Dr. Slate. 

Kate watched her father nervously rifle through a few papers from his briefcase before pulling out the proper documents. 

The creature went through the documents, brushing its long, graceful fingers delicately over them as it went. 

"Everything seems to be in order."  The creature said monotonously.  It bent down and came back up with a tiny, golden key.  "Your safe key," it handed it not to Dr. Slate, but to Kate.  "Kathryn Slate."

"Thank you."  She said quietly, taking the key carefully from the creature.  She looked at the small key with a bit of fright in her eyes.  What would happen if she lost this?  In order not to risk this, she pulled her necklace off and replaced the small golden heart with the key. 

"Do you need money now?"  The creature asked.

"Yes."  Dr. Slate replied.

"Snarber!"  The creature called out.  Another creature walked quickly over.  Kate put the necklace back on, the heart in a pocket, and she and her father followed Snarber in through one of the doors.  Kate had been expecting another brilliantly enormous marble room, but was surprised by a stone passageway lit with only torches. 

Now Kate was anything but shy, but she had trouble starting a conversation with this unidentified beast. 

"Will you need the key?"  She asked, hoping to find something to break the silence with.

"Yes."  Snarber replied.

"Okie dokie.  Want me to give it to you now?"

"No.  I will ask for it once we are in the cart."

Silence.

"How long have you been working here?"  Kate inquired conversationally.

It didn't speak for awhile.  "Thirty-eight years."       

"Wow.  So, are you a wizard?"  Kate was desperately afraid that all witches and wizards would ultimately end up looking like these creatures.

"No.  I am a goblin."

"Oh!  I didn't know that there were goblins for real!"  Kate caught herself.  "Sorry, that sounded weird."

Dr. Slate was watching her timidly, as though afraid to do anything.

The goblin did something that neither of them expected: he laughed a wheezy sort of cackle as used by someone unpracticed in the art of laughter. 

"Muggle-born, I expect?"

Kate nodded, smiling weakly.

They came to the end of the stone tunnel.  A small cart came barreling up to them on its tracks. 

"Here we are."  Snarber said, holding an arm out, beckoning them to get in.

Kate boarded first and Dr. Slate next.  Snarber requested the key from Kate, who handed it to him.  He stuck it into a hole in the cart and the cart took off.  Wind beat against Kate's face and made her hair fly back.  She grabbed onto her glasses fearfully.  Left, right, right, left middle, left, right, middle, right middle!  Kate's eyes were shielded by her enormous spectacles and this allowed her to look around. 

She gasped as she saw a large lizard- a dragon! – perched in a cranny.  It seemed to be eating something, but she couldn't see what as they hurtled away.  Kate looked to watch her father, but his eyes were tightly shut and he was breathing steadily as though trying to reassure himself.  The cart came to an abrupt stop beside a small door on the passage wall.  The door opened as Snarber put the key into the hole.  Snarber handed the key back to Kate, who put it back on her necklace.  She stumbled around a bit before looking inside of the safe. 

Mounds of gold and silver and bronze.  

"Is this… what account is this?"  She asked in awe.

"Your college account."  Dr. Slate looked amazed.  "I wonder what the translation was… must have been in our favor."

"Twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, seventeen Sickles to a Galleon.  Galleons are the gold coins, Sickles are silver and the Knuts are bronze."  Snarber explained.

"Odd numbers."  Kate frowned.  "Both in the normalcy sense and mathematical sense."

Dr. Slate nodded.

"How much will everything cost, I wonder?"  Kate asked no one.  She just scraped up a bunch of coins into her bag.  "Think this is enough?"

"Probably."  Dr. Slate nodded.  "At least, it should be."

"Okay, that's it then.  Do we just go back?"

"Yes.  Onto the cart."  Snarber beckoned.

Dr. Slate looked green at these words.  "Is there a way to go… slower?"

"One speed only."  Snarber grinned sadistically.

Dr. Slate groaned.  After the return journey, Kate thanked the goblin but all her father was capable of was a nod, mouth firmly shut.  They left Gringotts and Terry Slate took a chance to sit on a bench.

"Oof, what a ride."  He grinned feebly, clutching his gut. 

"Yeah."  Kate nodded.  "All right, let's go get my books and stuff."

"Just a sec."  Terry looked up at the sky.  "I was afraid I'd never see that again."

Kate laughed and pulled out her supply list.  "Tell you what," Kate started, "why don't you stay here and I'll go look for this on my own."

Dr. Slate's head snapped back to look at her.  "No.  I'm ready."

The first store they went to was a potions shop called Cauldronne Shoppe.  It didn't just contain Cauldrons but also telescopes, scales, phials, and ingredients.  She bought the standard pewter cauldron, though the excitable clerk was showing them the benefits of platinum and gold, but Kate stuck reluctantly to the list.  They also got a collapsible telescope (which vastly excited her father, being so interested in the stars,) brass scales, and a set of crystal phials.  Kate and her father couldn't resist purchasing an advanced potions book as well. 

They went next to the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts.  There they purchased not only what was required but they found a book on the history of Hogwarts, thinking that could be useful, a magical mathematics book ("We want your math skills at their maximum in the wizarding world."  Dr. Slate encouraged.  Kate rolled her eyes at this.)  It was an Arithmancy book.  Kate wanted a book on something called Quidditch because they'd heard a lot about it while in Diagon Alley, so they got that too.  Not wanting to use up all of her money, they only purchased one more extra, and that was a jinx and anti-jinx spell book.  They decided it might be good for Kate to know about some of that before heading off into a new world. 

"Let's get your wand."  Dr. Slate said excitedly, carrying only his briefcase.  Kate's arms were aching with the load of what was in her cauldron.  She didn't complain because she was too happy to mind the pain.

"There's a shop.  Ollivanders."  Kate motioned towards it with her head.  "It's been in business a long time."

"How do you know?"

"It says 'makers of fine wands since 382 B.C.'" Kate read to her father.

"Oh."  Her father sounded shocked.  They tottered inside.  It was a small room lined with shelves.  There was a spindly chair that her father sat in.  He offered it first to Kate, who refused, too eager to see the owner and to get her magic wand.  She put her cauldron down slowly on the ground, flexed her arms, and looked at the counter for any signs of the person who worked here.

"Hello."  A man drifted in from between the rows of shelves.  The first thing that struck Kate was his impossibly blue eyes that shone like beacons in his wizened face. 

"Hi."  She responded, smiling somewhat uncertainly. 

"I am Mr. Ollivander, and who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"Kathryn Slate.  Pleased to meet you, sir.  This is my father…."

"Terence Slate."  He stood to shake Mr. Ollivander's hand warmly.

"Pleasure indeed."  He smiled.  "To business.  Which is your wand hand?"

"Um, I'm right-handed."  She held her hand out to demonstrate her point and Mr. Ollivander's eyebrows shot up.  "What is it?"

"Your birthmark."  He looked into her hand.  On her pinky was a strange mark that was shaped something like a blobby star.  "And you are American?"

"Yes."

"Hm.  I don't remember what that relates to… yet…I foresee interesting things for you.  Now."  He pulled out a measuring tape and tapped it with his own wand.  "You're Muggle-born, are you not?"

"I am."  Kate nodded, watching the measuring tape awkwardly as it measured her height, arm span, finger span, nostril span and eye span before crumpling. 

"All right, excuse me for a moment."  He walked off and returned with an armful of boxes.  "Ah… try this one."  He handed Kate a reddish one.  "Dragon-heart string, redwood, nine and a half inches.  Give it a wave."

Nothing.

"Here, try this.  Maple, phoenix tail feather, thirteen inches."

"Um…."

Mr. Ollivander snatched it away.

"Unicorn hair, willow, eleven inches."

Again, nothing. 

"Tricky.  Try… hmm… I wonder… perhaps… oh, it wouldn't hurt, I suppose."  He pulled a box out with a label reading "1950" in bold numbering.  "Try it."

Kate took the wand, which was an ivory color and felt nice in her hand.  She sincerely hoped this one worked.  Immediately she felt a gentle tingling and out shot silver sparks as she waved it about. 

"Was that right?"  Kate asked, staring at her wand.

"Yes, indeed.  But… how strange."

"What's strange?"

"Nine and a half inches, birch wood, one of that last, might I add, but that is certainly not the curiosity.  It is the mix inside.  I've never had mixes before, it was more of a theory, I suppose one might say.  Unicorn hair, phoenix feather, and hair from the golden re'em.  Mixes are not done generally in wands, if ever, which is why I've had this wand for nearly fifty years."

Kate was nonplussed but felt slightly frightened.

"It shall be interesting to see what becomes of you, Miss Kathryn Slate."  He charged her seven galleons for the wand and said adieu.  Terry Slate looked at his watch and exclaimed.

"Oh no!  I've got to pay the parking meter!  Go to the clothing store then meet me back outside the Leaky Cauldron, all right?"  But he was already running out of Diagon Alley.  Kate watched her father bound off with raised brows and then walked into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

An older woman sat reading a newspaper called The Daily Prophet.  She looked up and smiled at Kate.

"What can I do for you dear?"

"I need to get my school robes, for my school," she dithered, feeling eager and unthinking.

"Hogwarts?"

"Yes."  She nodded. 

"Right this way."  Kate stepped up on a stool and went through a few measurements before being told that her order would arrive at her house in a week.  Kate left a few galleons with Madam Malkin and left Diagon Alley with her armload of things.  Her father met her outside of the Leaky Cauldron, looking worried because he couldn't find it.

"Oh, good.  Sorry about that."  He said sheepishly. 

"It's okay."  Kate smiled.  "Let's get into the car so I can set this stuff down."

"Sounds good to me."

On the way home, Kate read part of her standard book of spells aloud to her father.  Though slightly car sick, Kate only desisted once the drive was over. 

"Fascinating."  Her father shook his head.  "I can't believe that my daughter is a witch!"  He hugged her tightly before they stumbled into the house.  Inside Mary Jane was helping Meghan put on her uniform.  Meghan looked bored and slightly tired. 

"You're home!"  Meghan's eyes lit up.  "Do you have magic stuff?"

"Your cauldron looks rather hefty."  Mary Jane noted.  "You should put it down before your arms fall off."  Mrs. Slate couldn't keep the interest out of her eyes. 

"Mom, I can put my uniform on myself."  Meghan whined. 

"Of course you can."  Mrs. Slate moved away from her younger daughter to look through the contents of Kate's cauldron.  "Look at all of these books.  _Magical Theory_, _Magical Beasts and Where to Find them_, and you've even picked up some extras it looks like."

"Kate," her father cleared his throat, "I expect you to work very hard.  This school is not inexpensive.  If I find out that you slack off… which, I know _my_ daughter would_ never_ do…."

"Dad, you_ do _know that I wouldn't do that."

"Of course."  Dr. Slate smiled.  "This is so exciting."  He finally breathed.  He took the advanced potions book that they had gotten extra and flipped through it excitedly.  "Do you mind if I borrow this tonight?"

Kate was sure her father would finish it before dawn, being the speedy reader he was.  "Not at all."

"Can I see your magic wand?"  Meghan begged. 

Kate pulled the box out of her cauldron and opened it to reveal her shiny, white wand.

"Wow.  Can you do anything?"

"Yeah."  Kate nodded.  She waved it and the silver sparks came out.

"Cool.  Can I try?"

Kate held her wand to her chest, suddenly protective of it.

"Meghan, I don't think that would be appropriate."  Their mother said, much to Kate's relief.  Kate replaced her wand in its box and lugged her cauldron upstairs, feeling suddenly dizzy and hungry. 

She remembered that she'd be off of the prednisone soon and forever.  Biting her lip, she decided that it wouldn't be so bad just to stop… except that there were a few weeks still until September 1st and she really didn't want a flare-up. 

Sighing, she collapsed on her bed and continued reading the standard book of spells.  After a few hours, she was nearly done and her mother called up announcing dinner.  Hardly paying attention to what she was eating, she went back upstairs after washing her dishes to finish the book.


	3. Train ing

            _RUN!_

Kate sat up violently after a heart-pounding nightmare.  Drenched in a cold sweat, Kate shivered.  The freckled girl got out of bed and started pacing.  It was four o'clock in the morning.  No one was up yet and she wasn't tired at all. 

_Run._  She remembered what she had been doing.  Stumbling away from a pursuing… someone.  She couldn't run in the dream.  She couldn't run in real-life either. 

_Of course you can, if you really wanted to._

Kate frowned, and then nodded to herself.  Removing her tennis shorts from her drawer, she put those on and put on a t-shirt.  She snuck silently out of the house, quietly closing the door behind her. 

It was raining lightly outside.  Kate pushed her glasses up and then decided to just remove them all together.  The neighborhood became an indecipherable blur without her spectacles.  Clutching them tightly in a fist, she began running.  The rain fell harder and Kate's lungs were screaming for rest.  Her body jiggled painfully as she flew across the pavement.  She forced herself to continue.  Her goal was to loop the neighborhood, but she had to stop for air.  She walked a bit, feeling pathetic.  Gritting her teeth, she tried again.  It was even worse, but she had to keep going.  Her breaths came out squeakily and she wanted to collapse.  She didn't know where she was anymore.  She couldn't see without her glasses and she couldn't tell which house was hers.  Shaking, she put her glasses on and saw her house.  Squeezing her hands into fists, she forced herself to sprint back to the front door.

She collapsed on the porch, breathing heavily.  The rain fell into her open mouth and splattered her glasses. 

"Never… again…."  She breathed.  She lay for maybe ten minutes without moving, and then thought of her pathetic struggles.  She had to try again, every day for the rest of her life.  Her diseases would not conquer her.  She had conquered the first but its remainders were real enough.  She had to kill those too.  Standing shakily, she set off around the loop again. 

It was a few days later that Kate had started on her Arithmancy book.  Her eyes widened as she realized its uses and complexity.  Her brain could hardly take it in.  She waited until her father came home that evening to ask him to read it and help her understand it better.  Though his job was taxing, being a physician, he agreed to take time to help her with it. 

Kate had gotten into a sort of schedule of waking up from her recurrent nightmare, going for an exhausting run in the dark, getting home and forcing herself to do push-ups and sit-ups and then reading.  She always waited until her father had gotten up for breakfast to take a shower, telling him that it was just the time she woke up when he inquired to her early rising. 

Her robes arrived and she tried them on in front of her family.  All black, they certainly were impressive. 

"You look like a judge."  Meghan wrinkled her nose.

Kate noted very deep pockets.  "I can put my wand in this."  She patted the pocket.  "Among about everything else in the world."  She grinned.

Harry Potter came home that day.  Kate didn't know.  She had grabbed _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ and was re-reading it on the front lawn.  It was just a listing and she was afraid to confuse things.  She had been going through and highlighting parts she was afraid of forgetting easily.  The sun was shining warmly on her back and she was enjoying it through her fifty SPF sunscreen. 

"'Lo."  Harry Potter called out.  Kate looked up and grinned, leaning back on her elbow.

"Hi!"  She stuck her highlighter between two pages and closed the book over it, so as not to lose her place.

"What are you reading?"  He jogged over.

"Um… it's a fantasy book called _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_.  It's supposed to cover the herbs that were mentioned in a book series by J.R.R. Tolkein."  She explained quickly.  She knew about the Statute of Secrecy from her history textbook.  She was disappointed that the history textbook only covered everything until the early twentieth century, so either nothing had happened in recent years or it was just an outdated copy. 

"I have that book."  Harry realized aloud. 

Kate jumped.  "Really?  So are you… going… um… to…."

"Hogwarts?"  Harry finished reluctantly. 

"Yes!"  Kate laughed.  "You're a…."  Kate stopped, looking around.

"Yeah, and so are you."  Harry grinned.  "Cool."

"Yeah."  Kate agreed.  "What about those train tickets, huh?"  Kate laughed.  The other day she had received her train ticket through the mail.  "Platform 9 ¾.  Nutty, isn't it?  I can't believe how many platforms there must be." 

"I noticed that too.  I've never heard of that platform."

Kate's face fell.  "Really?"

"Really."

"Crap.  So, it's not a British thing?"

"No."  Harry shook his head.

"Hopefully we'll be able to see it.  Like the Leaky Cauldron."  Kate said, sounding somewhat confident. 

"Yeah.  You're probably right." 

"Was that the letter your aunt and uncle were keeping from you?  The acceptance one?"

"Yeah.  They don't like magic."  Harry said miserably.

"Oh.  Were your parents?"

"Yeah.  My mum was Aunt Petunia's sister.  I guess my mum was Muggle-born."

"I see."  Kate said.  "So you're not Muggle-born?"

"No.  But I've been raised by Muggles."

"How did they get you?  I mean, if they're scared of magic, why would they bother?"

"I wonder that too."  Harry laughed.  "After my parents were murdered, I just showed up on their doorstep I guess."

"What?"  Kate jumped.  "Your parents were murdered?  I thought you said they died in a car crash."

"That's what I thought too.  I guess Voldemort killed them."

"Who is Voldemort?"  Kate tilted her head.

"Eleven years ago, he tried to kill me and he failed.  I don't know why," he shrugged, "but that's how I really got this scar."  He sounded uncomfortable.

"Whoa.  So, what happened to him?"

"He died or something."  Harry shook his head.  "The thing is, he was the huge villain.  He'd killed lots of people, but he couldn't kill me." 

"Did you save the world then?"

"Dunno.  Some people think I did."

Kate grinned.  "Little baby hero."

Harry laughed.  "Yeah.  Have you read all of the books?"

"Yeah.  They're really interesting.  We even got four more.  One on complex potions, one on arithmancy, one on Hogwarts, and another one on Quid… Quidditch.  I actually feel really confused on it now.  It's a weird sport, but it sounds like fun."

"Can you explain Quidditch to me?"  Harry asked eagerly.

Kate laughed.  "I'll try.  See, there are four balls.  Two of them are evil.  They try to kill everyone on the field.  They're called blood-ers or Bludgers, I think.  They're hit around by two players called Beaters.  They have these big baseball bats to whack them around.  Then there's one called the… the… Quaffle, yeah, and it's sort of like the basketball of the game, 'cause three of the seven players per team are trying to throw them through a gigantic hoop."  Kate frowned.  "There are three huge hoops.  They're like bubble-blow sticks.  The players who throw the Quaffle are called Chasers and the player who is goalie is called a Keeper.  Oh yes.  Then there's this little golden ball called a Snitch.  It flies everywhere and a Seeker tries to find it and catch it to end the game.  It's worth about a billion points.  Well, just one-fifty, but close enough."  Kate breathed.  "That's all I pretty much got from the book.  If you want to borrow it sometime, you can."

"It sounds too confusing."  Harry shook his head.

"That's because I suck at explaining things that I don't understand."

"Haha."  Harry grinned.  "Do you think your parents would give me a ride to King's Cross Station?  I don't really want to ask my aunt and uncle for a ride."

"Yeah, I'm sure they would."  Kate knew they would. 

Dudley, Harry's cousin came outside and saw Kate.  Then he saw Harry, squealed and ran back inside.

"What's wrong with him?"  Kate jerked her head towards him.

"He… um…."  Harry was having trouble keeping a straight face.  "He has a pig-tail.  Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts, gave him one."

"Why?"

"'Cause Uncle Vernon was saying bad things about the headmaster."

"Oh.  Who is the headmaster?"

"Albus Dumbledore."            

"Cool name."

"Yeah."  Harry agreed. 

They talked for awhile longer before Kate was called in for dinner. 

"Well, I'd better go.  Do you want to stay for dinner, actually?"

"No, better not."  Harry said glumly.  "I'll see you tomorrow."

Every day until September 1st, Kate kept her schedule of rising early, running, reading, showering, reading, and then talking to Harry.  Kate noticed that she was getting better at running.  She was even getting a line down her calves and thighs.  Her stomach, though still blobby, was getting firmer muscles, though they were underneath the sheath of prednisone chub. 

The night before she went to Hogwarts for the first time, Kate refused to take her prednisone and sort of laughed at it in her room.  She was so happy.  Everything was beginning to be better in her life. 

Her parents had agreed to drive Harry to King's Cross Station, but as it turned out, Harry's aunt and uncle were going to London that day anyway and wanted to give him a ride over.  Harry said it was probably to gloat at the lack of platform 9 ¾. 

Dr. Slate had to go to work early that day and couldn't see Kate off.  He gave her a hug goodbye.  He drove Meghan to school and Mary Jane took Kate to King's Cross Station where they got a cart to push her stuff around in.  She wasn't wearing her robes because she didn't want to stand out in the train station. 

"Where is the platform?"  Mary Jane asked.  "Can you see it?"

Kate stared blankly at platforms nine and ten and saw nothing in between. 

"Um… no."  Kate said worriedly.  "We could try walking through it?" 

"What?"

"Look, here's the plan."  Kate was feeling emboldened by her growing idea.  "I'm going to try and walk through the wall.  If I go through, follow me, okay?"

Before her mother could object to this nutty idea, Kate was charging the wall.  She squinted, seeing that the wall remained very solid. 

"Gods.  Let this work."  And as her trolley touched the wall… it went through!  Kate made it through the wall.  An archway above her read "Platform 9 ¾" and a scarlet train sat on its tracks, students boarding.  The platform was noisy with families and students, magical pets and squeaky trolleys.  Kate remembered that Harry had a snowy white owl named Hedwig.  She had been eager to see it but Harry was afraid to let her come into his house because of his aunt and uncle.  Kate waited for her mother to pass through the wall (with a shell-shocked look on her face) before heading towards the train. 

"Wow." 

"Yeah."  Kate picked up her trunk.  "I should get into a compartment."  She saw Harry looking out of a window and waved to him, nearly dropping her trunk. 

"Your friend?"

"Yeah." 

"I'll give you hand."  Her mother picked up the other end of the trunk.  They walked through the train.  Kate saw a toad leaping about the corridor.  Then they got to the compartment she had been looking for.  "Mom, this is Harry Potter, Harry, this is my mom."

"Hi."  Harry said awkwardly.

"Hello."  Mary Jane Slate smiled.  "You can call me MJ." 

"Thanks."  Harry replied. 

"Well, I won't stay any longer."  Her mother said.  "Have a good year."  Mary Jane hugged her daughter and kissed the top of her head.  "Write!"  And she left.  She walked off of the train and stopped to speak with an older woman with a stuffed vulture over a pointed green hat.  The old woman smiled warmly at Kate's mother and Kate could hear them talking about the school. 

Harry seemed to be listening intently to another conversation.  A red-head woman with a younger daughter was surrounded by three boys, all rather tall and lanky.

"Mom- get off!"  One of the boys struggled away from his mother, who was wiping his nose.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?"  One boy teased the younger boy.  He looked just like another boy.  Twins.

"Shut up," said Ronnie.

"Where's Percy?"  Their mother asked.  She was rather dumpy, but she seemed like the kind of person one has to love.

"He's coming now."  Replied the other twin.

An older boy came striding into sight.  He was in his Hogwarts robes and had a shining silver badge on his chest with the letter P engraved into it.          

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said.  "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves-."

"Prefects?"  Kate mouthed to Harry.

Harry shrugged.  "I'll explain later."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said a twin, responding to something the other had said earlier.  "Once-."

"Or twice-."

"A minute-."

"All summer-." 

"Oh, shut up."  Said Percy. 

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?"  One of the twins inquired.

"Because he's a _prefect._"  Their mother sounded pleased.  "All right, dear, have a good term- send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed the prefect boy on the cheek and he left.  Then she turned to look sternly at the twins.

"Now, you two- this year you behave yourselves.  If I get one more owl telling me that you've- you've blown up a toilet or-."

"Blown up a toilet?  We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny.  And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again.

"Hey, Mom, guess what?  Guess who we just met on the train?"

Kate saw Harry move away from the window.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station?  Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"_Harry Potter!_"

A little red-haired girl, Kate hadn't noticed her before, spoke urgently.  "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, oh please…."

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo." 

Kate looked at Harry trying to suppress a smile.  Harry waved a hand at her as though begging her not to laugh out loud.  He was red as the setting sun with embarrassment.

"….his scar.  It's really there- like lightning."

"Poor dear.  No wonder he was alone, I wondered.  He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

The mother's face became hardened. 

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred.  No, don't you dare.  As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

A whistle sounded.  Kate jumped and sat up in her seat.  She realized how much she'd just eavesdropped and felt bad.  Harry shook his head, still listening. 

The train began to move.

"D'you think we should put our uniform on soon?"  Kate asked.

Harry shrugged, looking at Kate.

"Hey, don't worry about it."  She said calmly.  "I doubt everyone will want to pay to see you."  She teased.

Harry grinned feebly.  "I guess I'm just frightened of going to Hogwarts, that's all."

"Me too."  Kate agreed.

The compartment door slid open and Ron, the red-headed boy, poked in.

"Can I join you?"  He asked timidly.

"Yeah."  Harry said.  Kate nodded, smiling kindly.  Ron looked at Harry and then looked out the window, as though pretending he hadn't looked.  Kate felt suddenly awkward, not knowing how to put a word in.  The door slid open again.

"Hey Ron."  The twins were there. 

"Listen, we're going down to the middle of the train- Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Creepy."  Kate said.

The twins grinned. 

"Hey now, don't you get any ideas."  Kate moved away.

"What's your name?"  They asked. 

"Kate.  Kate Slate."

"Wonderful, it rhymes."  One of them teased.

"I'm Fred Weasley and this is my brother George."

"Pleased to meet you."

"The boy with the black mark on his nose is our brother, Ron."  George explained.  "See you later then.  Nice meeting you, Harry, Kate."  The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Harry Potter?"  Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded.

"Oh- well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron.  "And have you really got- you know…."  He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to reveal his scar.

"Bum-bum-bum-BUM!"  Kate imitated Zelda music under her breath.  Harry looked at Kate and chuckled quietly, obviously recognizing the tune.  Ron was still gaping at Harry. 

"So that's where You-Know-Who…?"

"Yes," said Harry, "But all I can remember is loads of green light."

"Wow," said Ron.  He stared at Harry in awe.

"The specimen seems unfazed by interrogation, but he responding to our questions."  Kate cupped her mouth in her hands and feigned speaking into a recording device.  "Let's see what happens when we poke it."  Kate reached across the compartment and poked Harry, who squeaked.  "What odd noises it makes, don't you think so, Dr. Weasley?"

Ron's eyes widened as he realized what Kate was doing.  Then Harry laughed and Ron joined in, but Harry and Kate could see that Ron was embarrassed. 

"So, are you family all wizards?"  Harry asked with fascination.  Kate looked intently at Ron.

"Er- yes, I think so," said Ron.  "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you know a lot of magic?"  Kate asked.

Ron shrugged.  He looked back at Harry.  "I heard you went to live with Muggles.  What are they like?"

"Horrible."

"Hey!"

"Well, not all of them."  He looked at Kate and smiled apologetically.  "My aunt and uncle and cousin are though.  Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five."  Said Ron miserably. 

"It can't be worse than having a little sister."  Kate said, trying to help. 

"I have one of those too."

"So you're really cursed."

Ron nodded.  "I'm the sixth to go to Hogwarts.  Bill and Charlie have already left.  Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch.  Now Percy's a prefect.  Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny.  Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first.  You never get anything new, either, with five brothers.  I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." 

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless.  He hardly ever wakes up.  Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears turned pink.  He went back to staring out the window.

Harry, obviously sympathetic to how Ron felt, explained to us about how he had to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents.  Ron seemed to cheer up.

"… and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort-."

Ron gasped. 

"What?"  Kate and Harry chimed.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!  I'd have thought you, of all people…."  He sounded shocked and impressed.

"What's wrong with saying a name?"  Kate asked slowly.

Ron stared at her as well. 

"Muggle-born."  Harry explained.  "But at least she's smart."  Harry said glumly.

"What?"  Kate was taken aback.

"I'll bet I'm the worst in the class." 

"You won't be."  Ron jumped in to reassure him.  "There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."

"Harry, you do not strike me as the slow type at all."  Kate said fervently.  "And I'm not smart; my dad just threatened what's left of my life if I do poorly."

Harry smiled.

"Sounds like my mum."  Ron grinned.

"Isn't pressure wonderful?"  Kate said sarcastically.

"Oh, brilliant." 

The three of them were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. 

"Are you from America?"  Ron asked after awhile.

"Originally, yes.  So not only am I getting a culture shock but then there's the whole 'hey, guess what, you're a witch!' thing going on."  Kate sighed.  "Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not complaining.  Magic will cure my disease so I don't have to be fat anymore."

Ron blushed, because he'd obviously been thinking that Kate was chubby because she was an American. 

"You're not-" Ron started.

"Don't worry about it."  Kate said noting Ron's discomfort.  Kate tapped her foot on the ground, feeling eager to run a bit, fearing she'd lose what little she'd gained.  Kate hadn't taken prednisone and was feeling hungry without the dizziness she'd grown accustomed to.  She had packed herself a carrot and a peanut-butter sandwich.  It was about twelve thirty when there was clattering outside of the door.  Kate was strongly reminded of the noise she'd hear right before getting an IV and her face drained.  She had to shake her head.  It was unlikely that they'd use an IV to cure her, especially not on the train. 

The door slid open and a smiling, dimpled woman walked in.

"Anything off the cart, dears?"

Kate shook her head, saying "no thank you" and Ron muttered that he'd brought sandwiches.  His ears were pink again.  Harry, on the other hand, went out into the corridor and returned with an armload of food.  Kate was aghast.

"And how do you stay so skinny?"

"Hungry are you?"

"Starving."  Harry took a large bite out of a pasty shaped like a pumpkin.  Kate looked at the wrapper and saw it was called (cleverly enough) and pumpkin pasty. 

Kate had pulled out her carrot, which was about a foot long and took a chomp out of it.  Harry and Ron gaped at the enormity of it.  Ron had pulled out a lumpy package and unwrapped it.

"She always forgets that I don't like corned beef."  He said, pulling one of them apart.

"You want half of my peanut-butter sandwich?"  Kate offered.  "You can give me half of your corned-beef."

"I dunno."  He looked thoughtfully at Kate's sandwich, messily made.

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty.  "Go on."

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron.  "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."

"His deal certainly outweighs mine."  Kate nodded sagely. 

"Go on, have a pasty."  Harry thrust it into Ron's hands.  While Kate finished her earlier prepared lunch, the two boys ate their way through Harry's bizarre sweets.

"Kate, help yourself to anything you want here."  Harry offered.

"Thanks."  But Kate didn't touch anything, only picked up a wrapper to examine the names. 

"What are these?"  Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs.  "They're not really frogs, are they?"

"Ew."

"No," said Ron, "But see what the card is.  I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?"  Kate and Harry asked in unison.

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know- Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect- famous witches and wizards.  I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

"Awesome."  Kate said, sounding fascinated. 

Kate watched Harry unwrap his chocolate frog.  He pulled out a card.

"So this is Dumbledore." 

Kate hopped over to look at the card.  It was an elderly man with twinkling blue eyes, and long white hair, mustache and beard.  His nose looked as though it had been broken a couple of times.  He winked at them and Kate and Harry jumped. 

"It moves.  Ah!" 

"You're right, that is kind of odd."  Harry agreed. 

Kate went back to her own seat.  She watched the boys exchanging cards.  Ron was ecstatic to get a Ptolemy, but he never did get the Agrippa card. 

"You want to be careful with those."  Kate had been drifting off but was brought back to life by Ron's warning.  "When they say every flavor, they _mean_ every flavor.  You know, you get the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe.  George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once.

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.

"Bleaaargh, see?  Sprouts."

"Oh my gosh, really?"  Kate jumped up.  "Can I try?"

"Yeah."  Harry said, dumping some into her hands.  She spread them out on her seat and observed them.  She picked up a white one and bit it.  She laughed after she swallowed it.

"Cotton ball."

Ron and Harry and she had a good time trying different flavors.  Harry and Kate split a gray one, which was pepper in the end.  Kate rather liked it, but Harry was revolted.  The three children looked out of the window to see a forest begin to grow around them as the train got closer to Hogwarts.  Kate felt butterflies flutter in her chest as the unexpected and expected approached.

The compartment door slid open again.  Kate expected to see Fred or George, but they were greeted by a tearful round-faced boy. 

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

The three of them shook their heads. 

"I've lost him!  He keeps getting away from me!"  He wailed.

"He'll turn up," said Harry.

"Wait," Kate frowned, "I think I saw a toad earlier, but that was a long time ago.  It was in the corridor."

"Really?"  The boy said brightly.

"Yeah, but I'll look out for it for you."

"Thanks."  He said, sounding a bit more encouraged.  He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron.  "If I'd brought a toad, I'd lose it as quick as I could.  Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk.

The rat was still sleeping on his lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference."  Said Ron in disgust.

"He'd smell worse."  Kate commented. 

"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work.  I'll show you, look."  He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand.  It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out.  Anyway-."

He had just raised his wand when the door opened again.  The boy who'd lost his toad was back, but this time he had a bushy-haired girl with him.  She was already wearing her Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad?  Neville's lost one," she said in a rather bossy tone that Kate found funny.  She noted that this girl had rather large front teeth beneath her braces.  _The teeth of the British,_ Kate couldn't help thinking.  She licked her own retainer's bar, wondering if there was a spell to use instead.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it."  Ron said, but the girl wasn't listening.  She was staring at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic?  Let's see it then."

She sat down.  Ron hadn't been expecting more people to watch.

"Er- well, all right."

He cleared his throat.

_"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow_

_Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."_

He waved his wand, but nothing happened.  Scabbers was still gray and barely twitched in his uninterrupted sleep. 

"Are you sure that's a real spell?"  The girl asked skeptically.  "Well, it's not very good, is it?  I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me.  Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard- I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" 

Kate couldn't believe the rush of words that came from this girl's mouth.

"I'm Kathryn Slate.  But everyone calls me Kate."  She said warmly, while Ron and Harry exchanged looks of horror. 

"I'm Ron Weasley."  He muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?"  Hermione snapped back into action.  "I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

"Am I?"  Harry sounded dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know?  I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.  "Do any of you know what house you'll be in?  I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor; it sounds by far the best.  I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad….  Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad.  You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

She and Neville left. 

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it."

"I think she's funny."  Kate disagreed.

"Something's seriously wrong with you."  Ron shook his head.  He threw his wand back into his trunk.  "Stupid spell- George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"What house are you brothers in?"  Harry asked.

"Gryffindor," said Ron.  Gloom seemed to be settling on him again.  "Mom and Dad were in it, too.  I don't know what they'll say if I'm not.  I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin." 

"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron.  He flopped back on his seat, looking depressed.

"I don't really think it'd be too bad being in any of the houses."  Kate frowned.  "I mean, they all have good qualities.  Hufflepuffs are supposed to be hard-working and loyal, Ravenclaws are smart, Slytherins are… ambitious, I guess, and Gryffindors are brave.  So, I mean, all of the houses are good in their own way."

"Slytherins are known to be Dark wizards."  Harry said.

"That's because they're too ambitious to do things that aren't good.  Some people are ambitious to save the world, so I mean, come on."  Kate shook her head.

There was silence.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are looking a bit lighter," said Harry, obviously trying to move away from the house debate.  "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left anyway?"

Kate crossed her legs and watched Ron curiously.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.  "Did you hear about Gringotts?  It's been all over the _Daily Prophet_, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles.  Someone tried to rob a high security vault."

Harry and Kate stared.

"Really?  What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news.  They haven't been caught.  My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd.  'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Kate decided that the supposed Dark wizard must have been a maniac.  She wouldn't even consider breaking in, even for fun.  The goblins alone were frightening in their own way. 

"What's your Quidditch team?"  Ron asked them.

"Even though they suck, I like the American Eagles and Sweetwater All-Stars.  I have to support my native teams, even if they chose the most boring names of all time."

"Didn't they have to open a Muggle clothing store to make more money?"

"Yeah.  They're doing quite well in that department." 

"Is Quidditch very popular in America?"

"No.  I don't think so.  Then again, I didn't know about wizards and Quidditch over there."

"What about you Harry?"

"Er- I don't know any."

"What!"  Ron was indignant.  "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world!"  He explained the game to Harry better than Kate had done it.

He was just taking the two Muggle-raised children through the finer points of the game when the door slid open again.  Three boys entered.  Two were enormous and the third was slender, pale, and wore an expression of superiority on his pointed face.  He didn't look at Kate or Ron, but was watching Harry with a great deal of interest.  The two large boys stood by this pale boy like bodyguards. 

"Is it true?"  He started.  "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment.  So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," Harry was looking a bit nervous.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," the pale boy said carelessly, "And my name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a small cough-laugh. 

Kate smiled and said, "The name's Bond, James Bond."

"Think my name's funny, do you?  No need to ask who you are."  He was scowling at Ron.  "My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford. 

"I don't know who you are," he sneered at Kate, "but I can tell you're an American by the accent and the cheeks."

Kate blushed angrily.

"You'll soon find out some Wizarding families are much better than others, Potter.  You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort.  I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's.  To Kate's relief, he didn't take it. 

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy's cheeks turned a bit pink.

"I'd be careful, if I were you, Potter," he said slowly, "unless you're a bit politer, you'll go the same way as your parents.  They didn't know what was good for them, either.  You hang around with riffraff like Americans, the Weasleys, and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you."

"Good job, you've just insulted everyone in this compartment."  Kate snapped, standing with Ron and Harry, to hold them back.  "A plus to the 'a' hole."

Malfoy sneered. 

"Are you going to fight us?"

"Unless you get out now," said Harry.

"Harry, stop it.  These jerks don't need the satisfaction."  Kate said sternly.  "I don't think they want bruises their first day to Hogwarts.  So they'll leave."

"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys?  We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron- Ron leapt forward, but Kate grabbed his shoulders to stop him.  Goyle shouted in pain.

Scabbers the rat was biting his finger and holding on with all his might.  Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung his hand wildly, trying to remove the rodent.  Scabbers popped off of his finger, slammed into the window, and the three of them disappeared at once. 

Hermione Granger appeared in their place. 

"What has been going on?"  She was looking at the mess of sweets on the floor and the three panting students.  Ron was picking Scabbers carefully up by his tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to the two of them.  He looked more closely.  "Oh, I don't believe it.  He's gone back to sleep."  Kate smiled weakly.  "Harry, you've met Malfoy before?"

"In Diagon Alley."  

"I've heard of their family," Ron said darkly, "they were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared.  Said they'd been bewitched.  My dad doesn't believe it.  He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."  He turned to Hermione.  "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on.  I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there.  You haven't been fighting, have you?  You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron.

"We weren't fighting."  Kate said. 

"Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice.

"They are children, Hermione."  Kate patted Hermione's shoulder.  "Sometimes children do that."  She winked.

Hermione glanced at Kate, looking a bit surprised, then at Ron.  "You've got dirt on your nose, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left.  Kate pulled her robes on over her clothing, removing her sweatshirt.  She noticed that her robes were rather loose on her.  They had been snugger the first time she'd tried them.  Her heart leapt.  Maybe her running was already paying off. 

"I'm going to trip, I just know it."  Kate mumbled, looking at the length of her robes. 

Ron's were rather short for him.  Kate could see part of his pants.

A voice echoed through the train announcing arrival time would be in five minutes.  "Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Kate's face blanched and her heart started beating harder with nerves.  She was about to go to Hogwarts.


	4. Sorting

(A/N: A good friend of mine, Rachelie-Poo, hath pointedth outteth to me that this story be similar to that of Favian Fynn's. Okay, there's a good reason for that and I hope this doesn't disappoint anyone. This story was started many moons and suns ago, indeed before dinosaurs roamed the earth. The Favian Fynn story was actually just an offshoot of this, because this story is really, _really _long. That one is a mite different and a tad Mary-Sueish, if we face the facts. Speaking of Mary Sue, Kate is not a Mary Sue. Some things will seem Mary-Sueish but a lot of those actually happened, without the Hogwarts business. I say no more on this, lest I give the story away. =-O. Oh, and kudos to my nifty CrazayLaday, because she's just cool. And to my beloved Karlminion for giving me many smiles a day.)

It was night once they got outside and a booming voice from a huge man that Kate found vaguely familiar called first years to him.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

"Who is he?" Kate asked Harry curiously.

"Hagrid."

"Oh," she was nonplussed.

"C'mon, follow me- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years, follow me!"

The group of frightened first years stumbled behind Hagrid, following an abrupt and narrow path. It was so dark that Kate could barely see a thing, and everyone was wearing black. Everyone looked like a floating head in this thick darkness.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a collective "ooooooh!"

The path had stopped in front of a large black lake. Across the way, atop what seemed to be a mountain, was a castle, windows glowing with light. It truly looked the part of a fairytale.

Quite a few little boats sat bobbing in the water.

"No more'n four to a boat!"

Harry, Ron, and Kate were followed into their boat by Hermione. Neville, who had been following Hermione now looked lost and followed Hagrid timidly into his.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid and Neville were alone in theirs. "Right then- FORWARD!"

There was a great silence over the fleet of boats as they glided across the glassy water staring at the sparkling building across the way. Soon they had gone under an overhang and landed on shore. The students stumbled out of the boats, jittery with nerves.

Hagrid was checking the boats as they left them. "Oy, you there! Is this your toad?"

"Trevor!" Neville ran forward and took his toad from Hagrid. Then they clambered into a stone passageway after Hagrid. They stood before the castle and scurried to keep up with Hagrid. They walked up a flight of stone stairs and crowded around the huge oak front doors.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gargantuan fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open and Professor McGonagall stood before them in emerald green robes. She looked even stricter than on the first night Kate had met her.

"Professor McGonagall, the firs' years."

"Thank you, Hagrid, I will take them from here."

She pulled the door open wider and the first years filed into the entrance hall. It was so large that Kate thought that her new house could have fit comfortably inside. More flaming torches lit this hall and shadows danced around like sprites. Kate couldn't find the ceiling even as she mounted the marble stairs, holding her robes carefully up. She breathed in smelling the warm scent of fire and wood. McGonagall, Kate realized in a second, was not going up the stairs. Kate felt really stupid, but pretended to just be looking and then scurried after the group.

Kate could hear hundreds of voices coming from behind a door to the right, but McGonagall took them into a small chamber off of the hall. The first years smooshed in, closer together than normal, a mark of their fright.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." Kate saw Malfoy nudge his two cronies and nod. "Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking," she paused to scrutinize the shivering first years, "will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Kate wondered how she could smarten herself up with nothing around her like books. Professor McGonagall looked around at the first years again, her eyes staying longest on parts that seemed untidy. Kate subconsciously pushed on her glasses, realizing how huge they were. She felt surprisingly small, suddenly, for usually feeling so enormous.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

When she left, Kate felt like she might vomit. What was this sorting going to be?

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron from next to her. Kate turned to listen carefully.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred says it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

"Oh great." Kate moaned softly. "I hate tests."

Behind her, Hermione Granger was whispering quickly about everything she had learned over the summer. Kate willed her to please shut up. She had certainly been nervous before. When her gut started clenching, she thought that her ulcerative colitis was flaring up, but she realized it was just normal nausea. What was the test?

Kate cried out as someone barreled into her from behind. Neville had squealed as the rest of the first years made noises of fear. Soon Kate saw the cause of it. About twenty ghosts, all pearly-white and translucent, had just trailed into the room through a wall. They didn't seem to notice the first years at all, but were instead, in the midst of arguing.

"Forgive and forget, I say," said a fat little monk; "we ought to give him a second chance-" He was cut off by a ghost wearing a ruff and tights.

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost- I say, what are you all doing here?" He suddenly noticed the huddled group of trembling students.

"We're first years." Kate spoke up, not seeing a reason to be afraid.

"New students!" The Fat Friar smiled at her.

"Yes, we're about to be Sorted." She was about to ask what the Sorting was exactly, but the Friar continued.

"How exciting. What is your name?"

"Kathryn Slate." She explained.

"I'd shake your hand, but I'm afraid that would be quite impossible." He chuckled. "I hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to begin." Professor McGonagall had returned.

"Oh, that one will be in Gryffindor," said a ghost from behind.

"I sense intelligence, certainly Ravenclaw-"

"Now form a line," Professor McGonagall told them, "and follow me."

The ghosts went through the wall, the Friar pausing to wink at Kate and disappearing.

Kate's nerves had calmed as she walked along. She was thinking back to the ghosts and how friendly they were. She smiled to herself. Harry, on the other hand, looked a pale as a sheet. Ron as well. She was behind Ron and in front of a tall black boy, who nodded to her, looking terrified.

They entered the Great Hall. It was magnificent. She had read _Hogwarts, A History_ and was prepared for the ceiling to be interesting, but not breath-taking. It was as though they truly were outside looking at the starry night sky. She heard Hermione whisper this and realized that she and Hermione were probably the only two to have read it in this grade. There were four long tables with students sitting in front of golden plates, goblets and silverware. Floating above the tables were candles giving the room a golden glow. To avoid looking at the students, who were staring and whispering, she looked elsewhere.

At the front of the room was a long table where the teachers were sitting. She first noted Professor Dumbledore, with his silver beard and his kindly eyes, which twinkled behind half-moon spectacles. She didn't recognize any others and was distracted from further inspection by Professor McGonagall as she placed a four-legged stool in front of them. On top of the stool was a pointed hat that was actually quite unappealing. Patched, frayed, and dirty, it certainly had no place on someone's head.

_Maybe it can read minds._ Kate thought desperately. Everyone in the Great Hall was staring at the hat, as though expecting it to do something. Then, a rip near the brim of the hat, opened wide and began to sing:

_"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true _

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

Kate joined the hall in applause. What a brilliant hat! What a glorious day! No test! Just a mind-reading. Wait… it could read her mind and see what unkind thoughts she had. Oh no! It would know about the time she wanted Meghan to cry and the time that she wanted some girl to get smacked by a tennis racket. It would see every cruel action she wanted to do, but harbored inside. It would know that she was no saint.

Oh well. It was probably better than going up and taking a written exam in front of the school.

McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll or parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which covered most of her face, and sat down. After a few seconds the hat cried out-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The table on the right cheered, and the Fat Friar waved merrily. Hannah went to join her new table.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Susan ran to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!" A table second from the left applauded.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Was it Kate's imagination or did every house come in twos?

"Brown, Lavender!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" Kate saw Ron's twin brothers cat-calling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Kate saw the Slytherin table and tried not to think of them as unpleasant, but they certainly didn't look kindly. Kate listened to a few more names and realized that there were varying times that it took for the hat to decide. Some people were immediately sorted while others took a longer time. Kate wondered why, but figured she might find out soon. At least, she hoped she did.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione was very quick to get to the stool and she practically jammed the hat onto her head with eagerness. Kate made a mental note not to look so excited. It was kind of sickening to see.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Ron moaned from in front of her, shoulders sagging.

Kate was observing the tables, trying to memorize faces for later. She heard Neville Longbottom being sent to Gryffindor when people began laughing. She looked up and saw Neville running back to the stool, hat still on head.

When she heard "Malfoy, Draco!" called, she listened eagerly, but didn't need to wait long.

"SLYTHERIN!"

"No surprise." Ron muttered to her.

Crabbe and Goyle were already situated there.

Few people were left at this point. When Kate started hearing the P's going, she listened until….

"Potter, Harry!"

Harry stepped reluctantly forward, and then whispers began to invade the hall.

"_Potter,_ as in _Harry_ Potter?"

"_The _Harry Potter?"

Everyone in the hall watched him intently. Kate felt kind of bad for him. He disappeared beneath the hat. It seemed to take a long time for him. Kate jumped as the hat exclaimed: "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table burst into fervent applause, half of the table standing excitedly. She saw the Prefect Weasley, Percy, shaking Harry's hand.

Kate noticed the hall slowly quieted down and then, her heart jumped because….

"Slate, Kathryn!" McGonagall watched for her. Kate was so surprised that she almost didn't move. She started walking and took the hat slowly, putting it onto her head. She exhaled as it slipped all the way down. No one was watching her, Harry had made sure of that, and for that she was grateful.

"Kate, hello." Said a small voice in her ear.

"Hi." She whispered.

"Whew, you're just as difficult as your young friend, Harry. I see much courage, a very talented mind, determination to work and you are loyal to your friends. Your ambitions aren't your first priority though. I suppose that rules Slytherin out. That leaves three. I don't see you simply sitting around and reading or sitting back and letting others make noise. No, soon a metamorphosis is coming, so it'd better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Kate removed the hat, saying a silent thanks and goodbye. McGonagall leaned over to speak to her. "During dessert, Madam Pomfrey will take you to the hospital wing to heal you and then she'll bring you back, all right?" Kate nodded and walked to the Gryffindor table. She seated herself next to Harry and smiled at the ghost in ruff and tights that she had earlier met. She breathed slowly out and smiled at Harry. The black boy that had stood behind Kate in line was next; he was also put into Gryffindor. When Ron went up, he looked wont to vomit. Kate sensed that the hat was saying something along the lines of "another Weasley," and then….

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Kate and Harry clapped loudly as Ron sat across from Kate, looking relieved and ready to faint.

"Well done, Ron, excellent." Said the prefect boy pompously. And finally, the Sorting was over. Kate sighed and rested her arms on the table, glad that nobody could see how chubby they were, being covered in sleeves. Albus Dumbledore stood and was beaming at the students. He opened his arms wide, as though trying to hug all of them.

"Welcome!" He cried. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Kate wasn't sure what to make of that, but she laughed anyway. Harry leaned to talk to Percy.

"Is he- a bit mad?"

"Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

Kate jumped as well, noticing that all of the dishes were full of food. She hadn't been planning on eating anything but vegetables, but couldn't resist what had been put in front of her. Kate served herself a little bit of everything she liked and had forced herself not to eat all of it. Around her people snarfed their food, but Kate was determined to lose weight quickly. Now that she was going to be off of the prednisone, she would be free! Instead of eating lots of food, she drank lots of the sweet liquid in her goblet.

"That does look good," said the ghost sadly.

"Can't you-?"

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself, though I have met your fine young friend, Kathryn. I knew you would be a Gryffindor." He smiled at Kate who blushed. "I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" Ron blurted. "My brothers told me about you- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would _prefer_ you to call me Sir Nicholas de-" Sir Nicholas began stiffly, but Seamus Finnigan, a sandy-haired boy interrupted.

"_Nearly_ Headless? How can you be _nearly _headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely unhappy.

"Like _this,_" he tugged his left ear and his whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as though it had a string holding it on.

"Urgh, what loser tried to decapitate you?" Kate asked, looking horrified.

"Who knows?" But his face had lit up as he flipped it back onto his neck. "So, I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year! Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable- he's the Slytherin ghost."

"Oh, we'll kick his butt." Kate said, not touching food anymore. She had left it on her plate, wondering what had possessed her to take so much. Kate turned to look at the Bloody Baron and saw a gaunt looking ghost covered in silver bloodstains. She noticed that Malfoy was seated next to him, not looking at all pleased.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus asked with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

When everyone had eaten to their stomach's desire, if not more, the food faded from the plates, leaving them as immaculate as before. Kate was still hungry, but refused to eat. She was getting slightly dizzy, but knew soon the affects of prednisone would be gone. Seconds later, deserts piled onto the plates. Kate was very glad that she was about to leave. She looked up expectantly to the staff table. A woman with kindly brown eyes rose from the table and nodded to Kate, who rose saying a humble "excuse me" without an explanation and followed Madam Pomfrey out of the Great Hall and into a dark corridor. She lit a few torches with a wave of her wand and beckoned Kate to follow her upstairs.

"I am Madam Pomfrey, dear." Wrinkles were sketched into her visage that spoke of kind smiles and laughter.

"I'm Kathryn Slate, but everyone calls me Kate."

"What manner of Muggle medication were you on?"

"Oral and… um… anal." She said miserably.

"What were their names?"

"Prednisone and steroidal enemas."

"I read about those a few weeks ago when Professor McGonagall told me of your ulcerative colitis. Awful treatments, but I suppose they do what they're supposed to, for awhile, at least."

Kate looked at the walls which were covered in portraits and paintings. Kate wasn't surprised to see them moving, talking, pointing, waving and snoring. Madam Pomfrey opened the door to the hospital wing.

"Oh, Madam Pomfrey?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for doing this. I really, really, really appreciate it." Kate said sincerely. "Especially taking time out of your dinner to do this."

"Oh it's nothing, dear." Madam Pomfrey smiled appreciatively. "Now, I need you to take your pants off."

"Pants as in underwear too?" Kate asked, not surprised.

"Yes."

Kate unzipped her jeans and pulled off her underwear. Madam Pomfrey had her lie down on a bed. She poked Kate's stomach and then made an affirmative noise. She took her wand and said a spell.

"All right, I can see where you are infected. I'm going to have you drink this."

"Okay." Kate expected an awful tasting liquid, because everything she had eaten for this blasted disease had been disgusting. The drink, though, was quite delicious and soothing. Madam Pomfrey said "_Suivez_" and touched her wand to Kate's intestinal area. Kate felt as though a fire in her stomach had been put out.

"All right, you're all done." Kate pulled her pants back up. "The prednisone has also been washed out of your system, so give it a month or two and your body will be completely back to how it used to be, minus the disease."

"Thank you a million times!" Kate was thrilled.

"No problem. Now, let's get back to the feast before Professor Dumbledore finishes his speech."

Kate followed Madam Pomfrey back into the Great Hall with an ecstatic look upon her face. She reseated herself next to Harry. The desert had just been finished as she sat down. She didn't care. She was healthy!

"Where did-." Harry started.

"Sh!" Percy hushed the first years.

Albus Dumbledore had again gotten to his feet.

"Ahem, just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's eyes darted to the Weasley twins, who were suppressing smiles.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Kate and Harry laughed at this last comment, though they were some of the few who did.

"He's not serious?" Harry asked Percy quietly.

"Must be," Percy was frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

Kate resisted rolling her eyes at this last comment.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!"

Kate saw that the other teachers looked as though they had to fake their smiles at this point. Dumbledore looked jubilant. Kate was excited for anything and everything.

Dumbledore gave his wand a flick and a long golden ribbon shot out of the end, rising above the tables and forming into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," the old wizard cried, "and off we go!"

The school started at once. Kate paused to choose a favorite tune and decided on Loreena McKennit's "The Mystic's Dream." It was a cacophony of sound:

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald _

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot!" _

Everybody finished at different times. Kate was laughing as Fred and George Weasley finished last. Professor Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with solemn motions from his wand. Everyone clapped at the end Dumbledore wiped his eyes.

"Ah, music, a magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy out of the Great Hall fighting their way through the groups of students. Harry had a deliciously tired look about him. Kate was so eager to be living that she didn't feel at all sleepy. She doubted this elation would last long. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she'd probably pass out.

"Kate, where did you go?" He asked, snapping out of his reverie. Ron and Harry both watched her curiously.

"Oh, right. See, I have, had a disease called ulcerative colitis and Muggle medicines suck so Madam Pomfrey cured me!"

"Oh!" Harry smiled at her.

"Oh." Ron seemed confused. "Why do they… suck?"

"Who knows, they're just evil." Kate shrugged, thinking of a thousand reasons.

Kate's brain began to slow with impending sleep. A smile was melted into her face as she drifted unseeingly down the corridor. The group stopped and Kate looked to see why.

A bundle of sticks was floating in midair, supported by seemingly nothing. Percy took a cautious step towards them and they started hurling themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist."

"Good movie." Kate said blandly.

"Peeves! Show yourself!" Percy called.

It sounded as though Peeves were blowing raspberries in response to Percy's request.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, similar to the sound of McGonagall appearing and disappearing in Kate's kitchen. A little man with teasing dark eyes and a wide cackling mouth appeared, floating midair Indian-style. He clutched the sticks to his chest, grinning manically.

"Oooooooooooh!" He laughed. "Ickle firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them and they reflexively ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" Percy growled.

Peeves stuck his tongue out and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. Neville's eyes were wide and he whimpered. Kate listened to Peeves flying away, shaking paintings and coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves. The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects." They continued walking. "Here we are."

At the end of the hall there was a portrait of an obese woman in a pink, silk dress. Her auburn hair hung in ringlets around her wide, yet elegant face.

"Password?" She asked lazily.

"Caput Draconis." Percy responded, and the painting swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all crawled through, though Neville needed some help. On the other end was the Gryffindor common room. It was a pleasant round room full of squashy armchairs in front of a roaring fire.

Kate, Hermione, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil all went up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. In their room were four canopy beds, dripping in red velvet. Their things were sitting next to their beds. Kate pulled her pajamas out and changed quickly into her oversized Cincinnati Bearcats shirt and pink pants.

"Goodnight everyone." Kate said softly.

"Goodnight." The other three chimed. And they were off into a snoring world of sleep.


	5. Training

_Run! The road curves now… follow, follow… a fork… _

_"Choose…." _

_Naked, why am I naked? When did my hair grow so long? How am I so slender and tall? _

_"Choose…."_

_RUN!_

Kate gasped as she sat bolt-upright in bed. She couldn't see a thing. She reached blindly to her nightstand for her glasses and shoved them on with trembling fingers. Cautiously, she reached for her hair to see that it was still as short as she remembered. It was just a dream. Why did it frighten her so? There wasn't anything… really… _frightening_ in it.

Shaking her head, Kate stood and remembered vaguely that she was in a new environment. She changed into shorts and a t-shirt and wondered where she could go. She quietly left the bedroom and softly descended the steps. The common room was devoid of life except for the crackling fire. She stared into it and wondered how to get outside without getting caught.

"Psst!"

Kate jumped. She saw the Gryffindor ghost smiling at her. "Good morning, Sir Nicholas."

The ghost beamed at her. "What are you doing up so early, Ms. Slate?"

"I have crazy legs." She lied. She just wanted to continue her running. It also helped her forget her bizarre dreams. "I dunno if you have one of these here, but is there somewhere I could jog?"

The ghost sighed dolefully. "No, students are not allowed outside of their dormitories past ten o'clock."

"Oh." Kate was put-out.

"But," he smiled, a light flickering in his translucent eyes, "I know a way to the grounds from here, if you are interested. You just aren't to get caught."

Kate lit up. "Really? Oh thank you, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."

"Oh, it's my pleasure. It's well-worth it for a lady who can remember my name without slaughtering it." He glowed. Then he pointed to the wall. "See the stone with a chip in the center? If you poke it while saying the incantation 'descendo' it will momentarily transform into a tunnel, allowing you passage outside. When you are ready to return you must say 'ascendo' from where you came out. There will be a stone patch on the ground so you shan't miss it."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"My pleasure. I shall leave you to your jog, Ms. Slate." He nodded solemnly at her and drifted off through a portrait of a phoenix.

Kate poked the hole with her index finger and said the spell. A jet of light surrounded it momentarily before the hole opened into a small tunnel, just large enough for her to squeeze through. She fell down the hole, just stopping herself from screaming in fear. She floated slowly down to the ground and landed gingerly on her feet. Kate stared up and silently thanked the hole.

The sky was still dark, but the stars were beginning to vanish. Kate knew that she had at least another hour and a half before it would be time to go to breakfast. Looking quickly around the grounds, she chose a spot that would be her goal and she ran towards it as fast as she could, eventually slowing to a jog and breathing heavily. About halfway there, she considered turning back but, with a spurt of determination, she ran the rest of the way and collapsed, panting noisily. She took her glasses off and wiped her forehead. She had run at least half a mile. The castle looked very distant. She stood next to the lake and looked into its murky depths. Jumping, Kate stood quickly. She could have sworn she had seen a face in the water. And it hadn't been her own.

With more vigor than before, she ran back to the castle, never looking back for fear of the strange face pursuing her. It was only once she reached the castle, short of breath, sweating, and feeling nauseous, that she remembered that there were merfolk in the lake. They certainly wouldn't harm her unless she greatly offended them. Lacking breath to laugh at her stupidity, Kate stretched while she waited for her lungs to refill. Finally she was able to speak the incantation and was soon sucked back up the hole.

Still, nobody was in the common room, so Kate took time to do her crunches and push-ups and thigh-exercise. After all was done, she went to her dormitory, grabbed her clothes and wand, and went to the showers. Once she was clean and dry, she went back into the common room and the students began their morning regiment.

Breakfast was a sleepy affair, except for Kate, who was wide awake, and Hermione, who was chattering away madly about their course schedule. Kate just smiled and ate her toast. Her stomach continued to growl, but she ignored it stubbornly, washing her meal down with a glass of milk.

Harry, Ron and she walked from class to class together, Harry always blushing because of all of the stares and pointing. Kate began to think about wandering away from her friends just because she didn't want to be seen. Luckily for her, she got to know Parvati, Lavender, Neville, Seamus, and Dean a bit better as the week wore on.

Parvati and Lavender were very pretty girls who were girly in every way. They spoke mainly of boys, make-up, clothing and hair. Kate liked them anyway and in turn they enjoyed her company. She was a good listener and despite a few of her wisecracks, they liked her comments.

Dean and Seamus were best of friends from the off. Dean had been Muggle-born and Seamus was half-and half. Both boys were very much into sports. Dean, being British and Muggle-born was a football (soccer) fan, but Seamus couldn't understand this fascination, what with Quidditch being his sport of choice. Kate was a tennis person, but liked both soccer and Quidditch, though she had never watched a Quidditch match. Seamus took this as an advantage to tell her about practically every game he'd ever seen. Dean would interrupt to tell her about a soccer match that she had missed, what with having lived in America. She knew better than to bore them with details of tennis and dutifully avoided this. The boys were goofy and so was she.

Then there was Neville. He was always forgetting something and looked constantly on the edge of whimpering. Kate had taken to talking to him about other things than school because she knew that made him jittery to think he'd forgotten something. She soon learned that his family thought he was a "squib" or a non-magical person born into a magical family. It was miraculous that he'd been accepted into Hogwarts at all. He had once survived falling off of a roof when his great uncle dropped him, bouncing all the way across the ground. That was the only sign of his magical abilities.

Hermione was the toughest nut for Kate to crack. All she ever wanted to talk about was school, and Kate found this very difficult. Hermione only wanted to compare their knowledge and Kate wasn't one to show off. Eventually she got Hermione to talk about her family and Kate was able to take it from there, getting to slowly know Hermione better, though it was far from an easy task.

Harry and Ron, though, were Kate's favorite of the Gryffindor friends, she soon discovered. They spoke about almost anything. She enjoyed their company and frequently walked and talked with them. They talked about classes mostly during the first week to compare their thoughts.

There were over a hundred staircases in Hogwarts, and most of them had a step somewhere around the middle that was a trick step. After constant warnings from senior students to jump them, the first years began to get into the habit. Not only were there trick steps, but some doors were also false. What was worse, some of them seemed fake but were in fact just waiting to be asked politely to open or properly tickled. At least most of the ghosts were willing to show new first years the way, but Peeves was a vicious poltergeist who was more trouble than anything else they had experienced. Always present, Peeves liked to rip carpet up from underfoot, jam wastepaper baskets on student's head, grab their robes and trip them up and all sorts of stunts that were painful and time-wasting.

The caretaker, Argus Filch, was certainly not a pleasant fellow. Most students would have loved nothing more than to kick him, or his cat, Mrs. Norris. Kate, always-friendly, said hello to the greasy old caretaker every day, and was usually rewarded with a mumble of response.

So, once one found a class, there was the fact that the classes weren't easy either. The most boring class, by far, was History of Magic. Firstly, Kate had already read the textbook as it was, secondly, all Professor Binns did was read aloud and sometimes add comments, which were painfully dull. Professor Binns was a ghost and the most exciting part of his class was when he'd drift through the chalkboard. Kate spent most of the class trying to see how long her fellow students stayed alert. Hermione was by far the most diligent, which Kate couldn't understand.

Every Wednesday, the Gryffindors had astronomy with Professor Sinistra. She was a kind teacher with great love for the stars above. Kate couldn't believe the views of the sky that they got. She wished her father could see. He was the one who had influenced her love for the heavens so much. Kate got on rather well with Professor Sinistra, asking most of the questions, always waiting after class so as not to interrupt the lessons. Then three times a week there was Herbology with a messy witch named Professor Sprout. Always smiling, this teacher knew how to make Herbology interesting for all of the students. The study of what plants and fungi were used for and how to take care of them was fascinating in itself to Kate.

Charms was taught by a small little old man named Professor Flitwick. Good-natured always, his classes tended to be amusing because he had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. It brightened the atmosphere of the room. Kate was very much looking forward to learning charms. The first class the students learned the swish and flick motion, which was the most basic. Kate and her classmates soon learned that charms weren't just a word and a wave, but much more complex.

Professor McGonagall was a bit frightening in all of her strictness. She had a gift for keeping a class silent with her mere presence. The first thing she said to the class aside from good morning was a lecture on what and what not to do in her class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class," she scanned the room with flashing eyes, "will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Almost as if to brighten the mood, she changed her desk into a pig and back again. Kate and Ron exchanged excited looks and then found out that it would be a long time before they would be changing furniture into animals. Their notes nearly gave the students hand-cramps, but were worthwhile.

"I wish my handwriting weren't such crap." Kate sighed after she had finished her notes.

Ron looked at his own chicken scratch and grinned.

McGonagall passed around matches to each of the students.

"I don't expect much, but I would like you to try to transfigure your match into a needle." She looked sternly at them. "And just because it's difficult doesn't mean I don't expect an effort to be made. I will know if you are trying."

Kate couldn't manage, not that anyone else could either. She read her notes quite a few times before giving it another shot. Her match changed to a silver color. She stared but didn't speak and continued concentrating. It was grating work and finally she had turned it into a passable needle.

"I think I've done something, Professor!" Hermione Granger cried out from the front of the classroom. Professor McGonagall strode over and took a look at what Hermione had done. She showed the class how her match had gone all silver and pointy and smiled at Hermione, who beamed in return.

Kate considered saying something, but thought better of it and shoved her needle quickly into her pocket without a word to anyone. She caught Harry watching her with a frown on his face and she shrugged.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was a smelly classroom. It was a potent mixture of garlic cloves and some unidentifiable rotting smell. Professor Quirrell, the quivering and stuttering teacher, explained away his bizarre turban by saying that an African prince had given it to him as a gift for getting rid of a troublesome zombie.

Seamus raised his hand.

"Ye- yes Mr. Finnigan?"

"How did you do it?" The entire class watched their professor eagerly, only to see him turn a violent shade of pink and start talking about the weather. Kate gave Dean a sideways glance and bit back a grin. Their teacher was a coward, or so it seemed.

By Thursday evening, Kate was beginning to feel a bit more at ease with her schedule. Early rising and running, sitting down with friends in the common room, doing her homework thoroughly and quickly as possible, and intentionally dieting. It seemed to her that she was constantly hungry, but refused to eat until satisfied even.

The next morning she ran just a bit further before returning, feeling the sting and ache in her thighs and calves. The one good thing that had occurred over the course of her consistent running was that she wasn't having as much trouble breathing anymore. She stretched her calves against the wall and cracked her neck. Looking back as she arched her back, she saw the gigantic figure of a man watching her from a hut on the grounds. Her heart leapt and she immediately ascended into the common room.

She'd been caught! What would happen to her? She didn't want to stop her running… or get expelled! If that was an issue… her parents would be so disappointed!

No, she had to stop thinking like that. There was no reason to be so worried. Obviously the large-man had been watching her for awhile and hadn't come out to say anything. She had to calm down. Breathing in a controlled manner, Kate diligently did her sit-ups and push-ups, occasionally stopping to look out the window. She got her shower a little later than usual, but wasn't hindered by this.

"Morning," she stifled a yawn as Harry and Ron said good-morning to her.

"Yup. That's what it is." Ron said grumpily.

"It's a pity the staff doesn't know that." Kate grinned wryly, replacing a quill in her bag. She had just finished the essay that Professor McGonagall had assigned. It had been trying work and a lot of rereading. Kate left her bag haphazardly on the sofa as she walked with Ron and Harry to breakfast. They got to the great hall without getting lost and were proud of it.

"Morning, Kate!" Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff first year, said kindly as she passed.

"Good morning, Hannah." She grinned at the blonde-haired girl as she waved and bustled off to join Susan at the Hufflepuff table. Lisa Turpin walked by with Padma Patil, and they said a brief hello before going to the Ravenclaw table.

Kate sat next to Ron and across from Harry. She took a small portion of oatmeal and ate it plain, not that it needed anything, for the food was so delicious.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked them as he poured sugar onto his own warm cereal.

"Double potions with the Slytherins," Ron grimaced. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them- we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favored us." Harry said glumly.

"Blaise Zabini is a Slytherin and he's not a bad guy." Kate commented.

"Give him time." Fred Weasley sat next to Kate. "And believe me, he'll come out like the rest of 'em: evil."

"They can't all be like that." Kate frowned. "That's just stupid."

George sat across from Fred and faked a gawp. "Can you believe the nerve of this wee ickle first year?"

"You question our knowledge?"

"Shameful, shameful."

"Bah." Kate waved a hand, forcing back a grin.

Lee Jordan, a black boy with dreadlocks summoned the twins off to look at something he'd found, barely glancing at Kate or Ron but giving an interested look to Harry, who definitely seemed to sense it.

There was a fluttering of wings and the owls swooped down to deliver the morning mail. Kate was planning on sending a letter to her parents the next week to inform them of her progress. She remembered vaguely her fears of the morning before.

"Harry, what is the name of that man who took us on the boats across the lake?"

"Hagrid." Harry became distracted as his snowy white owl fluttered down to drop a note onto Harry's plate. Harry wasted no time in opening it. He looked up at Kate. "He just sent me a letter actually."

Kate's eyebrows shot up. "Really? As if on queue…."

"Why d'you ask, anyway?" Ron asked through a mouthful of sausage.

"I just couldn't remember his name, it was bothering me." Kate shrugged, and downed some orange juice.

"Can I borrow your quill?" Harry asked Ron.

"Hold on,"

"I've got one," Kate said, not needing to put mounds of food down.

"Thanks." Harry scribbled a note on the back of Hagrid's and sent it off with Hedwig. He handed the quill back to Kate, who stuffed it in her pocket. She leaned over for a quick word to Dean about his recent belch.

"It lacked depth." She whispered.

"And what would you know about it?"

"I do have a father, who taught me well." She winked and Dean and Seamus laughed.


	6. Rock Cakes

_(A/N: Yo Carl, great reviews. They're quite cool. And Pirates-Princess, your review was very thoughtful and flattering. Thank you very much! I'm really glad that you enjoy my writing! I hope I never disappoint you!) _

"We should get our stuff." Ron said, glancing at his watch.

"Right." Harry, Kate and Ron stood and went back to the common room. After brushing their teeth and collecting their books, they set back down the hallway. Ron remembered that he'd forgotten something, and asked them to wait while he ran back.

Harry and Kate stood alone.

"We won't be late. Besides, we've never been there, so Professor Snape can't be too angry." Kate sensed Harry's discomfort.

"I don't think Snape likes me." Harry said quietly.

Kate quirked an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't he? Do you even know him?"

"At the start of term feast, he gave me a… really odd look. Like he was disgusted at the sight of me."

"You're just paranoid. Maybe you were misinterpreting the look."

"Maybe."

They were silent.

Ron ran back out of the portrait hole, clinging to his books as though they were his salvation.

"Come on, let's go." He nodded towards a staircase. "We've got time, but no reason to push it."

The dungeons were reasonably easy to find. They were just really far downstairs. Outside of the classrooms the Gryffindors and Slytherins had silently collected. Draco Malfoy and his cronies were smirking as the three of them walked over. Professor Snape opened the door and allowed them admission.

The room was decorated with pickled animals and ingredients. It was dark and dank in that lower level of the school. Snape, like McGonagall, had the ability to keep a class silent without words. He was a greasy-haired man with beetle-black eyes and thin, smirking lips. She was a little intimidated. He looked in each student's face as though trying to read their minds, but when he looked at Kate, she sensed some sadness, anger and frustration behind the guise of poise and loathing.

He took attendance at the start of class and paused, like many other teachers, at Harry's name.

"Ah yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new- _celebrity._"

Kate frowned, disliking how Snape was starting off. A few Slytherins sniggered in the back, including Draco and his apparent bodyguards. When Snape called Kate's name, he looked up at her momentarily. She smiled hesitantly at him. He smirked and continued.

His voice was smooth, greasy, and frightening. His speech told them from the off that he, like McGonagall, was not a man to be crossed.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with his shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Kate suppressed a laugh. All through his speech he spoke with eloquence and then plopped an insult in on the end. She was eager for his class, knowing he would be a pain in the ass but amusing to an extent. Besides, he seemed to be very intelligent. Kate looked around to see the stunned faces. Hermione was on the edge of her seat, ready to prove in anyway that she was no dunderhead. Everybody else had a blank look on their face that simply gave meaning to the word. In her mind, the words _Kodak moment_ were going.

"Potter!" Snape ejaculated suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Kate looked at Harry, already knowing that he was lost. Hermione Granger's hand shot into the air, not pausing to even think that nobody cared that she knew. Kate, on the other hand, took a more productive route and pulled out a piece of parchment, writing down the question. She wrote down the answer and was preparing to show him when he replied.

"I don't know, sir."

"Tut, tut- fame clearly isn't everything." He smirked, and ignored Hermione's hand. Kate felt as though she had failed, not thinking fast enough to help Harry. Her hand remained poised, as though ready to take notes. Snape caught her off guard as she embellished what she had written. Harry, who was on her left, looked pink in the cheeks. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Kate, stumped by the sudden question, began writing the question again, but hadn't done it in time to beat Harry's answer. Hermione was still trying fruitlessly to get Snape's attention.

"I don't know sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Kate knew that Harry had read a bit, they had even discussed parts. Did Snape really expect him to memorize? Kate brought her parchment to her lap and poked Harry slightly in the thigh, bringing her parchment quickly back up to the desk. Harry got the message and nodded oh-so-slightly.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

Kate knew immediately because she had highlighted them in pink together.

_They're the same! _She scribbled furiously, on top writing the names of the herbs.

Harry touched her knee slightly, indicating something she didn't understand.

"I don't know," he said quietly, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

Kate laughed at this, along with a few others in the class.

Snape glared. "Sit down." He snapped at Hermione, who had risen in her attempts to catch his eye. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." Snape snapped.

"Aconite, I forgot that." Kate muttered inaudibly to no one.

"Well? Why aren't you all copying that down? And a point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek Potter." While the other students rummaged around, Snape grabbed Kate's parchment as though he thought it was a note. He glared at Kate. "In the future, I recommend trying to help someone with brains."

"I was taking the notes for myself, not my pet rock." Kate laughed. "Unless you're implying that I lack the gray matter."

Snape's mouth twitched slightly, but he let the parchment fall to her desk. She knew then that he was trying desperately not to like her. Though no one had ever tried this before, she sensed his hatred towards people in general. He turned on his heel and walked back to the chalkboard, waving his wand sharply. A simple potion appeared on the board.

"Get into pairs," Snape said, "and make this potion."

Kate knew that Hermione would probably be alone because nobody really liked her, so she asked Hermione if she wanted to share a cauldron. Hermione agreed quietly, humbled by Snape's reprimand. Together, they began the process of preparing and mixing the ingredients. Snape stalked around the classroom criticizing almost everyone. He had nothing to say to either Kate or Hermione, but Malfoy was complimented. While Snape was turned the other way, Kate feigned gagging herself for Hermione's benefit. Hermione looked shocked. Obviously that was not the kind of treatment she expected for a teacher.

"See how Mister Malfoy stewed his horned slugs…." Professor Snape was cut off as Neville and Seamus' potion spewed acid green smoke and spilled along the floor. The cauldron no longer resembled itself but looked more like a strange twisted blob. "Idiot boy!" Snape snarled at the whimpering Neville, whose face was sprouting red boils. The potion had blown up in his face and was burning holes in people's shoes. Seamus' face was also breaking out, but the rest of the class had wisely mounted their seats to avoid the rolling poison. Snape cleared away the potion with a quick wave of his wand. Continuing to glare at Neville, he asked, "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as the boils spread all over his arms and legs.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. To everyone's surprise, he turned on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville. "You- Potter- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Harry's mouth fell open, but Ron kicked him and he shut it quickly.

Kate and Hermione quietly piled their things up and left the classroom.

"How was your first week?" Kate asked in a light tone.

"Good. Though, I do wish we would move a little more quickly, though I suppose we must get acquainted with the subject matter beforehand… but I'm ever-so impatient to begin learning." Hermione gushed.

"Mm, write to your parents yet?" She asked.

"No," she frowned, as though she had forgotten about them.

"Me neither, I'm going to next week, I think."

"Oh. That's a good idea." Hermione said quietly, obviously much more comfortable on school subject-matter than other things.

"Kate!" Ernie, a Hufflepuff boy, ran over to her. "Kate, d'you have the Herbology assignment done yet?"

"Partly, why?" Kate had it done, but she didn't like to parade the fact that her homework was always done early, like Hermione had a tendency to do. The bushy-haired girl looked as though she couldn't believe that someone couldn't be done with the assignment.

"Oh, well, you understand it?"

"Yeah."

"Could you help me out with it? I don't understand exactly what to do."

"Sure."

Hermione walked awkwardly away.

"Oh, Hermione, I'll talk to you later, 'kay?"

Hermione smiled unsurely.

After Kate helped Ernie a bit, they were walking back to the great hall.

"Why do you hang out with Hermione anyway? Isn't it sort of like talking to a dictionary?"

Kate laughed. "Nah, she's a good egg. Just shy."

"I'll take your word for that."

"Good. Now run along wee Ernie." She shooed him jokingly and turned to return to her common room. "Caput Draconis," she said to the Fat Lady. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome." The Fat Lady drawled.

Harry and Ron were sitting on a sofa talking about something or another. Kate didn't want to interrupt them. Dean, Seamus and Neville were talking about their Potions experience.

"I don't understand how you have such rotten luck." Seamus shook his head. "I don't fancy being your partner again."

"I'm sorry." Neville said softly.

"It's okay; you interrupted that over-sized bat at least while he was bragging about Malfoy's brilliance." Dean shrugged. Then the three of them fell deep into a discussion about Quidditch versus soccer. Kate didn't want to take part in that discussion right then. Hermione was off in a corner of the room studying and was clearly in no mood to chat. Lavender and Parvati were elsewhere then. Kate was just about to leave when Harry and Ron got up.

"Hey, Kate, we're going to Hagrid's hut. Wanna come?" Harry offered.

"Sure." Kate said brightly, but deep down she thought it was a bad idea. What if he told her not to run anymore? She truly had no desire to comply with such a demand. The three of them traipsed across the grounds to the small hut perched on the edge of the lake. Harry was in a dark mood the whole way there, but Ron was chatting away at Kate about the recent Quidditch match he had read about. Kate listened earnestly, but was watching Harry out of the corner of her eye, worried. Her gigantic glasses were proving painful in the sun and she almost took them off and walked blindly to the giant's hut. They were there before she had decided to do this, so it became unnecessary.

Harry knocked on the door and Kate put her hands anxiously behind her back as a dog started barking wildly from the other side of it. By the sound of it, this was no toy poodle.

"_Back,_ Fang- _back!_"

Hagrid's face, gigantic and furry, poked between the crack of the door and he beamed at them.

"Hang on," he gave his dog a final "_back_" and then allowed them entrance.

Kate looked at the giant of a man, who was busily restraining a giant of a black boarhound. It looked sweet enough, so Kate wasn't worried.

The hut was as small as it looked, which sort of surprised Kate. After all, this being a wizarding world, so sort of expected that appearances wouldn't be everything. There was only one room in this cozy little house. It was a kitchen-bedroom mix. Kate wondered where he went to bathe. Maybe by magic or up to the castle. Dead poultry hung by the stove and a chipped teapot sat on top. The table was higher than Kate was used to, but for a man of such great proportions, it was probably necessary. She was surprised to see a pink umbrella leaning up against the wall in the corner. It seemed out of place. The bed had a patchwork quilt on top that brought a smile to Kate's face. This room was very cheery and she certainly enjoyed it.

"Make yerselves at home," Hagrid released his pet and Fang ran straight for Ron and began their meeting by licking his ears.

Hagrid started pouring boiling water into his teapot and was putting rock cakes on a plate as Harry introduced the two of them.

"This is Kate and Ron."

"Another Weasley, eh?" Hagrid looked momentarily at Ron's hair and continued. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

Harry and Ron took rock cakes while Kate politely refused.

"So, Kate, where are yeh from?"

"The States, originally." Kate explained.

"She moved into my neighborhood." Harry told Hagrid.

"Ooh. So yeh knew Harry before yeh came here?"

"Yes." Kate nodded.

"Did yeh know he was a wizard?"

"No. I'm Muggle-born."

Hagrid nodded. "So tell me about yer firs' week."

Hagrid listened to them talking about their lessons. Kate scratched Fang's ears without putting too much in unless there was a space of silence. She was pleased to get booming laughs from Hagrid. Maybe he hadn't seen her after all.

"Then, on our first day… Filch practically killed us 'cause we accidentally tried to get into the third floor corridor. We were lost! Like we had a clue where we were!" Ron said indignantly.

"Eh, that old git. An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her- Filch puts her up to it."

"Kate got Filch to smile once." Harry commented. "I thought his face would break."

Kate blushed.

"How did you manage a thing like that?" Ron asked incredulously, still holding an entire rock cake in his hand.

"I'm magic," Kate's response popped out automatically, "oh… wait… that doesn't work here." She turned even darker red. Harry cracked a grin, obviously understanding while Hagrid and Ron were at a loss for what she had said.

"That reminds me," Harry went into a spiel about how he was afraid that Snape hated him. Kate had had a similar impression so remained tight-lipped. Hagrid disputed by saying that Snape didn't like many of the students anyway.

"But he seemed to really _hate_ me."

"Rubbish! Why should he?" Hagrid shook his massive head.

"He took points off of Harry for not pointing something out to Neville, who, by the way, wasn't his partner." Kate pointed out.

Hagrid shrugged. "Angry at Harry, I s'pect, fer bein' funny earlier." Hagrid quickly moved the conversation along before Harry could object. "How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid looked to Ron. "I liked him a lot- great with animals."

"Yeah, he certainly loves them." Ron pretended to nibble at a rock cake. Hagrid took a deep gulp of his tea and then exhaled. "He's working in Romania now, with dragons."

"Is 'e? Good! Good!"

"Dangerous, he comes home with all these burns and stuff. He really likes it though. He's got a lot of friends there with him."

"What's involved with the job?" Kate asked curiously.

"Um… sort of marking their migration patterns, keeping them healthy and alive in a contained area sort of thing. Learning how to keep them under control." He shrugged.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate noticed Harry reading a newspaper cut-out.

"Hagrid!" He burst out. "That Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Kate and Ron turned to stare at Hagrid, who grunted, looked at some point over Harry's head and offered him another rock cake. Harry scanned the article again. Hagrid offered Kate a rock cake again.

"Once I've lost all my weight, your rock cakes will be the first thing I try," she explained, grinning broadly, sensing the weight of her cheeks as they gathered into round bunches on her face. It was the only the second time she had addressed her weight issue in front of Ron and Harry. They noticed that she ate very little at mealtimes and that she was already looking slimmer.

She brought the conversation back to Ron's brothers.

It was time for the three of them to head back to the castle for dinner.

"Your pockets are bulging." Kate repressed a grin unsuccessfully.

"Yeah, well." Ron shrugged. "They'll make good weapons one day."

"Are they literally rock cakes then?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

Harry was silent the whole way up but neither friend disturbed him.


	7. Broomsticks

_(A/N: Ashley, I hope I get published one day too! That would be wicked cool. You can be my publisher, how about it? Haha. Thanks everyone, for the great reviews. Crazay, I'm glad that my grammar is still good, and the spelling. I make stupid mistakes all the time because I am usually up at about… oh… five writing these and then I just post it, so I appreciate you looking out for those darned errors. Carl: Rupert is bloody brilliant, is he not? Hehehe. Read on my fellow fellow-types.) _

Kate ran a bit further that night and her lungs didn't scream in pain. Her head spun a bit as she collapsed against the castle wall, but she felt pretty good. Her breathing was certainly heavy and her heart-rate elevated, but that was how it was meant to be.

"Ascendo," she whispered. With a small breezy noise, she was sucked back into the common room. She quickly did her exercises before showering. Humming "Kissed by a Rose," she rinsed her hair then emerged into the bathroom to dry herself. She donned her robes and pocketed her wand before leaving. After she got back into the common room, she jumped and cried out softly.

"Ah!" There was a burly fifth year sitting on the sofa, leaning over complex notes and lists in a would-be focused sort of way. She recognized him vaguely, having seen him before. He was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. His name slipped her mind at the moment. "What are you doing here?"

He rubbed his eyes, looking drawn and sleepy. "I'm not sure."

"Scratch that," Kate shook her head, "how long have you been here?"

"Um…" he checked his watch, "five minutes."

"Oh." Kate was greatly relieved. At least he wouldn't know why she'd been up. She just hoped he wouldn't be making a habit of getting up early. "Okay." She sat down in a squashy red chair and pulled out her Potions homework to finish it.

"How long have _you_ been up?" He asked, barely looking at her and stifling a yawn.

Kate shrugged. "Longer than five minutes."

"Oh." They didn't speak anymore, which was uncharacteristic for Kate, but she was focused on a few things. What if people started getting up early and found out what she was up to? And what the heck was the word she had written on the third line?

_Mushroom, you dunderhead._

Brushing her hair back a bit, she found it nearly reached her earlobes now. At least it was getting longer, but her face still felt round as the full moon.

Morning came and found the Gryffindors descending, yawning and complaining about the brightness of the sun. It was the first Saturday of term. The Quidditch captain was off of his sofa and scouting out his teammates to see if they were still playing or whatever it was Quidditch captains had to talk about. Harry and Ron were the first 1st years to come down and so she left for breakfast with them.

The great hall, as usual, was attacked by owls with the morning mail. Kate remembered suddenly that she had written a note to her parents. She didn't know how to get it to them.

"Harry," she started, "how do I send an owl to my parents?" Kate showed him a folded piece of parchment that was properly addressed.

"Here, give it to Hedwig, she'll take it for you." Harry said, stroking his snowy white pet.

Kate handed the letter to Harry, who attached it to the dutiful Hedwig. Her leg was stuck out and she stood patiently waiting for him to finish.

"How does she know where to go?" Kate asked, as Hedwig flew off.

"It's the mystery of the owl." Ron shrugged, spooning some porridge into his mouth.

"Oh." Kate swallowed the rest of her milk and took an apple from the fruit pile. "Ouch," she started picking at her tooth, "I hate when the skin gets caught there. It digs into the gum and it never comes out." She pulled it out successfully.

Harry and Ron looked at her and laughed.

"That wasn't too lady-like, was it?" She was steadily turning crimson as the apple she held in her hand. "I have a plan. And it's a plan of action." She used a slicing charm with her wand and cut the apple into eight neat sections.

"…of course, my father thinks it's a shame that first years can't play on the team, what with my talents on a broomstick…." Draco Malfoy's drawl drifted over to them as he walked by, surrounded by an unsightly gang of Slytherins. "Oh, it's Potter. Still worried about Potions? You do stink, don't you?"

Harry turned red and Ron to match him. Kate sighed.

"Don't bother with him." She said to them as Malfoy walked by, laughing. "What will come of it?" Harry and Ron glared at her, though she knew the glares were really meant for Malfoy. "Wait until you've got something really good on him. It will be so much more fun that way." She finished. The boys nodded, grudgingly accepting her words of wisdom, but already fantasizing about wringing Malfoy's neck.

Sunday night brought Kate into the common room after a shower to find the Quidditch captain again sitting up and staring at a piece of parchment. She had no homework to do. She could have read a textbook, but she wasn't much in the mood, so she decided to look at what he was doing.

It was a piece of paper with six hoops on it, three on either side. Fourteen players covered the field, represented by color-coded broomsticks based on position. They wriggled about as the fifth year poked them with his wand and shook his head.

"Quidditch plans?" She asked quietly, to show that she wasn't trying to be annoying.

"Yeah, but… I really need the season to start. I wish practice would start sooner." He frowned deeply. "Such a pain, all this waiting."

"Looks it." Kate stared at the parchment in wonder, intrigued by the moving figures. Magic still amazed her, even though she was in a school that taught the subject. "Do the plans help?"

The boy thought for a moment, "I'm not sure. I figure it's worth a shot."

"True."

He leaned back into the couch and exhaled, puffing his cheeks out. "Dunno. Oh well." He looked up at Kate as though she had only just gotten there. "Who are you?"

"Kate Slate." She introduced herself.

"Oh, I'm Oliver Wood." He smiled at her in a sort of forced way. She grinned uncertainly back at him, afraid she was annoying him. Not only was he older but he was a lot _bigger _than she was. Though, she didn't think he would hit a girl, but just in case. His smile became authentic after hers appeared.

_Me and my jolly cheeks,_ she thought somewhat miserably, eager for the moment that they disappeared forever.

"What are you doing up so early, anyway?" He asked curiously.

"Getting a shower and avoiding the rush," half truths worked, she decided.

"That's not a bad plan." His eyebrows rose as though he had never thought of such a thing.

"I agree with you on that one." Kate winked. "How long have you been playing Quidditch for?"

"Since before I came to Hogwarts. My uncle played for Puddlemere United."

"That's pretty cool." Kate nodded. "What position do you play?"

"Keeper." He responded. "Do you play Quidditch?"

"Nope. I'm Muggle born and am only a tennis player, if you've heard of it."

"I think I have. It's a French sport, right?"

"Yes."

"I've never seen it."

"You're missing out."

Oliver shrugged. "I like Quidditch, so I'm all right."

"It's not against the law to like more than one sport." She suppressed a smile.

He laughed. "I guess not." He changed subjects. "Where are you from? Your accent isn't one I know."

"I'm from the States," she admitted. "Are you Irish?"

"Welsh." He shook his head. "In the States they like that game Quodpot, right?"

"Um, I think that's what the book said."

"That's right, I forgot, you're Muggle-born."

"_Oui_"

"Do you have any interest in Quidditch?" He asked, stuck to the subject like it was the air that he breathed.

"Yeah. I'm pretty eager to see a match."

"Good." He beamed at her. She couldn't help laughing. "D'you know the sport at all?"

"A little." She shrugged. His face lit up and he went about explaining everything high and low about the game to her. She loved watching his eyes and arms, because they seemed so alive as he elucidated the game to her. When the first bleary-eyed students came down the stairs, he was still on about the game, but onto complex moves like the Wronski Feint and the Starfish and Stick.

"It's really called the Woollongong Shimmy? I can't believe such a name is allowed."

He grinned at her, and then caught a glimpse of his watch as students crowded the common room.

"We should get to breakfast."

"Yeah. Not a bad plan."

They walked down together and she asked him more about the finer points that she had been vaguely confused on and whether or not his teammates used such tactics.

"Well, I'd like them to. The thing is they're not simple. But I guess that's good."

"The Wronski Feint would be fun. Can your Seeker do it?"

"We don't have a Seeker right now. No one's tried out for awhile. Our reserve Seeker isn't any good, better at being a Beater, and even that's a stretch. I'm hoping this year's try-outs turn out better players than last year's."

Kate shrugged. "It may."

Thursday afternoon found the first years outside for their first ever flying lesson… alongside the all-spited Slytherins. Even Kate was beginning to have troubles with them. She wasn't thinking about them, though; Kate was watching Hermione, who was now the color of old porridge and was still muttering to Neville what she had learned from _Quidditch Through the Ages._ Neville was twiddling his Rememberall nervously between his fingers. It was still a misty crimson, indicating that he had forgotten something. His grandmother had sent it to him just that morning. The Monday prior, Kate had gotten a long letter from her parents about how life was at home and how proud they were of her. Apparently Meghan was making quite the group of friends. Her parents had found out how to get into Diagon Alley on their own and had bought more books on magic so they could help her when they got home. They had met a few families in the neighborhood: the Danby's, the Lenhardt's, and the Dursley's. The Slate's were quite happy to have found so many friends in the neighborhood. Kate hadn't written home yet, but wasn't planning on mentioning that Harry was related to the Dursley's. Mentioning Harry might put an unnecessary damper on things.

It was a cool, crisp day and the wind held the promise of winter. The grass was still green, but soon would be yellow as grass about to be covered in snow. Kate stared at the dark forest that was forbidden to students and wondered what dangerous things lurked in its depths. Kate's attention wandered back to the twenty or so broomsticks lying on the ground. They were battered and the twigs stuck out at odd angles. Kate stood between Harry and Ron, who were watching Malfoy with a sour look on their faces as he boasted about a time that he narrowly escaped a Muggle helicopter from seeing him. Kate noticed that a lot of Malfoy's flying stories ended similarly.

"The wizard version of driving, and we're only eleven." She grinned at Harry. "When do people start driving in England, sixteen like in America?"

"Eighteen, in our area." Harry said.

"Oh." Kate pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear as the wind blew it in front of her glasses.

A yellow-eyed woman with short, gray hair marched out to the lawns. A whistle dangled at her chest catching the sunlight as it bounced with her every step. Her name was Madam Hooch.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" She barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

People that didn't already have a broom ran to stand by one.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," she instructed, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" Kate cried in unison with the rest of the class. The broom shot into her hand, a little overeager, like she was. She looked around and saw that over half the class had failed at this endeavor. Harry had succeeded perfectly and Ron got it on his second shot. Hermione's broom had barely twitched and Neville's hadn't moved an inch. Malfoy had also succeeded and was smirking in a self-satisfied way that made Kate sick to her stomach.

Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms and how to stay on. She showed them a grip which reminded Kate of how to hold a tennis racket. Madam Hooch moved up and down the rows correcting grips.

"Well, Mister Malfoy, you've been doing it wrong for years then."

Malfoy turned a pretty shade of pink. Kate, Ron and Harry grinned unrestrainedly at one another.

"Now, when I blow my whistle," she looked around meaningfully at the students, "you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle- three- two-."

"Ah!" Neville squeaked as his broom rose uncontrollably into the air.

"Come back, boy!"

Neville looked terrified, white faced and trembling, as he rose higher and higher, tilting slightly forward and he jerked himself back, to the side. He was slipping. He gasped audibly and fell sideways off his broom.

WHAM! There was a thud and a crack that indicated that Neville had broken something. Kate ran instinctively forward, a look of concern etched into her freckled face. The round-faced boy lay face-down in the grass, heaped over his arms as though afraid to move. Kate fell onto her knees and felt his back to see if he was breathing. Madam Hooch ran over to Neville, her face white as his had been.

"Help me get him up, won't you?"

Kate touched Neville's shoulder gingerly and helped him to sit up. His face was red with tears and his lips trembled. His wrist was in a terrible way.

"Broken wrist," Madam Hooch muttered, "Come on, boy- it's all right, up you get." She was trying to be gentle. She looked back to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.'" She lifted Neville to his feet. "Come on, dear."

Neville hiccupped and was on his way. Kate stood reluctantly from the ground, watching Neville as he went. They retreated into the castle and Malfoy spoke up.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins started up as well.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy Parkinson, an unattractive Slytherin girl teased. "Never though you'd like fat cry-babies, Parvati."

"You know, even if you don't like someone very much, you can still feel sympathy for them." Kate spat, growing steadily furious at the cruel Slytherins. Even her friend, Blaise was smirking, standing close to Malfoy as though wanting his praise. She caught his eye, glaring angrily. Blaise blushed and looked down.

"Look!" Malfoy grabbed something out of the grass and everyone went silent to pay attention to him. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Rememberall glittered for all to see.

"Give that here, Malfoy," Harry said quietly, stepping forward.

Kate felt her heart leap in an unexpected way.

Malfoy smirked.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find- how about- up a tree?"

"Give it _here!_" Harry yelled. To everyone's surprise, Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. Kate was surprised to see that Malfoy could actually fly well. Draco floated above a large oak tree and smiled nastily down at them.

"Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" Hermione Granger squealed. "Madam Hooch told us not to move- you'll get us all into trouble!"

Kate didn't think that mattered at the moment. She was more worried that Harry's anger would make him lose. She wanted for him to win more than anything.

Hermione continued to protest but stopped when everyone saw the boy fly through the air without trouble. Kate gasped in awe along with the rest of the girls. Ron whooped admiringly. Harry turned sharply to face Malfoy. Malfoy's face was priceless as he stared in shock at his unpracticed opponent.

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

Kate clasped her hands together hopefully.

"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy was looking a bit frightened.

Harry zoomed forward and nearly knocked Malfoy down, but he only just avoided the danger.

Kate raised her hands and started clapping wildly for her friend.

"Sic 'im Harry!" Ron called, jumping up. Kate saw Crabbe and Goyle looking confused out of the corner of her eye.

"Catch it if you can, then!" Malfoy shouted. He threw the Rememberall high into the air and it plummeted towards earth, and with an uncanny speed, Harry chased it. Kate felt her heart race as though she thought Harry were about to die. There was no way-

Harry did it! He pulled up just in time and rolled onto the grass with the Rememberall in hand just as a furious Professor McGonagall ran outside.

"_Never_-" Professor McGonagall strode onto the field, eyes narrowed into angry slits, "in all my time at Hogwarts…. How _dare _you- might have broken your neck!"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor!"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil-"

"But Malfoy-"

"That's _enough,_ Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

Harry gave a droopy look to Ron and Kate before leaving. He trudged after McGonagall looking as though his life had just ended.

"Oh no," Kate breathed.

"That wasn't fair." Ron agreed.

"He… he broke the rules." Hermione said, as though this made everything better.

"Hermione, just this once," Kate started, breaking Ron off before he could say something awful, "can't you accept that the rules deserved to be broken?"

Hermione looked speechless.

Madam Hooch returned to the field and had them continue their flying lesson.

Afterwards, Kate felt she would have enjoyed it much more if she hadn't felt she'd never see Harry at Hogwarts again.


	8. Perpetual Prat

"Look! Harry!" Kate cried excitedly as Ron and she walked dejectedly into the great hall.

"He's still here!" The two of them ran forward. Harry was already piling food into his mouth, looking as though he had experienced Nirvana.

"Oh my gods. What happened?" Kate looked at him. He had a misty, faraway look in his eyes. It disappeared and his mouth broke into a broad grin.

"You won't believe it."

"_What_?!" Ron and Kate chimed.

"I'm Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"No way!" Ron cried out.

"Yes!"

"I know!"

"What happened, mate?" Ron asked, watching Harry in awe.

"Well, McGonagall brought me in and I thought she was going to curse me into oblivion. I've never been more afraid in my life! So she went to Professor Flitwick's class and asked him if she could borrow Wood. I thought it was a _cane _or something, but it was Oliver Wood, the Quidditch captain! Now I have to play for the team. That's my punishment."

"Wow!" Ron sat back and stared in wonder.

"Awesome." Kate agreed.

"Wow." Ron repeated. "But first years _never_- you must be the youngest house player in about…."

"-a century." Harry was still shoveling food into his mouth. "Wood told me."

Kate still didn't touch a bite of her food. Even Ron, who usually ate more than all of the Gryffindors combined, had only served himself a bit before forgetting what he was doing.

"I start training next week," Harry explained, "Just don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Kate winked. "My lips are sealed."

Fred and George came over. George leaned on Kate's shoulders and watched Harry from across the table.

"Well done," George said softly. "Wood told us. We're on the team too- Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," Fred said confidently. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go; Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

Kate turned suddenly red, but no one noticed.

"Bet it's that one behind Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

They had hardly gone when Malfoy and his cronies turned up.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," Harry said coolly, obviously unaffected by this remark. Kate snorted. The only thing small about Crabbe and Goyle was their combined brain size.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," Malfoy said quickly. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only- no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, who quickly turned to face Malfoy. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room. That's always unlocked."

Malfoy left, Crabbe and Goyle cracking the knuckles a last time before leaving. Kate stared at Harry and Ron in bewilderment.

"What's a wizard's duel?" Kate and Harry chimed. Then Harry asked, "What do you mean, you're my second?"

Ron didn't look up from his food. "Well, a second's there to take over if you die."

Kate choked on her pumpkin juice.

"But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose." Ron suggested.

Kate grinned. "Good plan."

"Excuse me." The three of them turned to face Hermione Granger.

"Hey Hermione." Kate said kindly.

"Can't a person eat in peace at this place?"

Hermione ignored both Ron and Kate and spoke directly to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying-"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"- and you _mustn't _go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"It was a valiant effort." Kate nodded at Hermione.

"Goodbye." Ron finished the conversation.

Ron and Harry told Kate that they'd be leaving at about eleven thirty. It was her task to make it look as though nothing out of the ordinary were happening. Hermione looked at her skeptically as she changed into her pajamas, as though she couldn't believe that Kate wasn't doing anything for or against Ron and Harry.

Lavender and Parvati were happily discussing a new store that had opened in Diagon Alley called Missy's Magical Makeover, or something along those lines.

"Mum says for my birthday present she'll take me." Lavender sighed.

"Lucky," Parvati said jealously. "Maybe I can convince my mother to do something like…."

"Are they going or not?" Hermione burst out to Kate.

"I doubt it, I mean, come on." Kate said, removing her glasses and sitting on her bed. "They'd have to be pretty stupid to think that it was worth it at all."

"Really?"

"Really, really." Kate winked, then yawned unconvincingly and collapsed back onto her pillow. She waited until she heard Lavender's and Parvati's gentle snores. There'd be no deterring Hermione Granger. Kate put on her glasses and a robe on besides and crept down to the common room to see Hermione already waiting for the boys.

"I can't believe how tenacious you are." Kate plopped down beside the bushy-haired girl. "What do you honestly think you'll accomplish by this?"

"Stopping them." Hermione said, shocked at Kate's sudden arrival. "Don't you want to?"

"I'm hardly in a spot to tell them not to go." Kate said pointedly. "People don't like being told what to do as it is, especially not be friends. Or peers," she added as an afterthought.

"What if they get caught and the Gryffindors lose all of their points?" Hermione whispered.

"Well then, they'll have that guilt on their shoulders forever and you'll sit there knowing that they were stupid." Kate explained. "And they're far from being the first of their age to sneak out of the dormitory past hours. You aren't going to change the world in one night."

Hermione pursed her lips as though she didn't want to believe such a thing. She tugged her pink bathrobe around herself and looked expectantly towards the boys' staircase.

"You know, we could just go up there and poke them and pass the message on, then you could go to sleep."

"Are you going with them?"

"No." Kate said. "I don't really think I want to. They told me that they didn't want a huge crowd or anything, so the less people, the better." Kate said. "I'm just waiting up for them."

"Oh. Well then." Hermione looked a little more satisfied. She looked up suddenly and flicked on the lamp beside them. "I can't believe you're actually going."

"You!" Ron said lividly. "Go back to bed."

"That's where I'm going, Hermione." Kate said, nodding fervently.

"I almost told your brother, Percy- he's a prefect. He'd put a stop to this." Hermione hissed.

"Let's go," Harry muttered. "Sure you don't want to come, Kate?"

"I told you, the excuse I gave you won't work if you have too many people."

"What excuse?" Hermione hissed.

"A good one." Kate said.

"It doesn't matter." She leapt up and followed the two boys out of the dormitory. Kate rolled her eyes and went back up to bed, knowing that she had done what she could for her friends without following them to their doom.

Malfoy wouldn't be there. She had told them that already. She said if they really thought Malfoy would be, then go, but just in case he's not….

"You should have an excuse ready." She had explained.

"Like what?"

"Harry, if someone approaches, put your glasses on. Have them off and then put them back on and blink a lot. Then you can say you accidentally did a switching spell with your glasses and they wound up in… wherever you're caught. You needed Ron's eyes to help you."

"I like that." Harry had agreed.

Kate lay down on her pillow and wondered for awhile whether or not Malfoy would be there and how useful her excuse would prove to be. Her lids drooped shut and she drifted off into another dream encouraging her to choose… and RUN!

"You were right." Ron explained, looking tired, but exhilarated the next morning. "Malfoy _did _set us up."

"But we saw this three-headed dog in the forbidden corridor." Harry explained quickly. "It was standing on a trapdoor and guarding something."

"A Cerberus?" Kate dropped her spoon into her cereal.

"A what?" Ron and Harry chimed.

"You know… ah, it doesn't matter. But how did you get there?"

They explained eagerly to her about the prior night's adventures. They had gone to the trophy room and heard Filch telling Mrs. Norris to sniff for them. Neville, who had forgotten the dormitory password, crashed into a suit of armor and the four of them were forced to flee for safety in a locked room, which, as it turned out, was the third floor corridor.

"It was gigantic," Ron put his arms out wide to emphasize how large it was.

"What it makes me think of though, is… well, listen to this." Harry began. "When Hagrid took me to Gringotts, he had to get a tiny package out of a top-security vault. He kept mentioning that Hogwarts was the safest place in the world and how it was a favor for Dumbledore. A secret one, too. I think it's what the dog is guarding."

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.

"Or both," Harry agreed.

"Or neither," Kate grinned jokingly, but her grin fell away. "But I do wonder. Boy does Malfoy looked shocked." Kate noticed, nodding towards the pointy-faced first year. He kept staring at Ron and Harry as though they were an apparition that would soon fade.

Kate noticed that Hermione was giving Ron and Harry the cold shoulder, but she continued talking to Kate. Though she didn't like to think about it, it was probably because she was Hermione's only friend. Nobody else liked how bossy the bushy-haired girl was. Even Kate found it tiresome from time to time that all Hermione would talk about was homework and grades. Kate flat-out told her she would _not _discuss her grades with anyone, not even Hermione.

"Why not?"

"It adds unnecessary competition to a friendship. I am _very_ competitive when given the chance. I don't like it." Kate shuddered. She stuck her hands in her pocket and was pricked by the needle. She had forgotten it was in there.

Hermione frowned as though unable to understand that competition was something someone could dislike. Neville could often be found trying to read a book or watching a conversation. When he thought people weren't looking at him, he was often pale and looked as though he were wont to cry at any given moment. At these times, Kate often went over to distract him. It couldn't be healthy for him to be so nervous all the time.

Gasping and clutching her chest, Kate slunk against the castle wall. She wiped her forehead off on the back of her hand, and then stopped in mid-wipe. Realization struck her suddenly: she could feel her ribs! They certainly weren't as obvious as they had once been, but they weren't as thickly padded either. It was this good news that encouraged Kate to go up to the common room and get her shower. While the water beat down on her back, she poked her stomach and realized that it was smaller than it had been a month ago. In fact, it was safe to say that she was losing weight at last! Even her shoulders were becoming less padded.

After donning her robes, she noticed that they were looser as well. She grinned at her reflection. The jolly cheeks were shrinking too. They were still there, but they were diminishing at last. She did the robo-cop in front of the mirror a few times in celebration and then skipped out to the common room to work on an essay.

"Oh darn," Oliver was there, sitting on the couch, "I thought I'd beaten you here."

"Are you trying to beat me now?" Kate shook her head. "You shall fail miserably, I'm afraid."

"Why do you get up so early? It can't just be to shower."

Kate shrugged. "I just wake up and I figure I may as well get up."

"That's it?"

"Yup."

"Really?" He scrutinized her.

"Really, really." She smiled.

"All right." But his tone indicated that he didn't believe her for a second. "So, you're a friend of Potter's."

"Yeah," she brightened. "Is he a good Seeker so far?"

"Is he _good_? I really don't know yet. Practice starts next week. But he must be good if McGonagall thinks he's worthy of the team." Wood leaned back into the sofa, a dreamy look in his eyes. "The team is perfect this year. Perfect. There's no way we won't get the Cup this time. It will be ours!"

"That'd be pretty cool." Kate agreed, sensing this was a big thing for her fifth-grade friend. "I'll bet you do it. Is this your first year as captain?"

"No. I was captain last year as well."

"Wow, so you're going to be captain for four years?"

"I certainly hope so." He smiled vaguely.

"Are you going to join a Quidditch team after Hogwarts, you think?"

"Hopefully one will take me. I'd like that."

"That would certainly be fun." Kate agreed. She bent over to pull out her homework. They spoke intermittently throughout their work until the other students came down, at which point they went to breakfast and continued their day.


	9. Trollish Behavior

"A Nimbus 2000?" Kate shrugged. "Sounds… neat, I guess."

"Flies like nothing you've ridden before." Ron said. "Best broom ever made."

"It's amazing." Harry agreed. "And Quidditch practice starts this week."

"Brilliant." Ron sighed. Then he grinned, "You should have seen the look on Malfoy's face, though. It was bloody brilliant."

Kate laughed. "I can imagine. Bet he's jealous."

"All he's got is a Comet Two-Sixty," Ron chuckled.

Kate smiled, then her mouth dropped into an insuppressible yawn. "Oh, sorry." She forced her mouth shut. "All this getting up early business is catching up to me, I guess."

"Kate?" Neville had crept up behind her.

"Hm?"

"Can… can you help me with my Potions homework? I'm really confused."

Kate looked at Harry and Ron, who were watching, vaguely interested.

"I can try." Kate said. She told Harry and Ron that she'd see them later and then followed Neville to his work spot. "What's the problem?"

"I don't understand the differences between the Befuddling Stew and the Draught of the Idiot. Where's the difference?"

"Draught of the Idiot, for one, is stewed with the snails _before_ the porcupine quills are added. Another thing you might want to add is that the Draught of the Idiot makes a person act… well, like an idiot. Befuddling Stews just confuse them and sometimes gets them to say stupid things."

"Oh! Oh. I get it. Snails before porcupines. I've got it." Neville scratched a line out on his essay. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I'm gonna knock off early tonight. See you tomorrow."

"Night." He was focused on his essay, tongue between his teeth. "And thanks again." He smiled earnestly at her.

It was Halloween at last. Nobody was dressed in a ridiculous costume, though. Kate was rather disappointed. Halloween was the best holiday for expressly that purpose, and here they were stealing it from her.

"Mm, do you smell that?" Seamus asked, breathing in deeply.

Kate sniffed. "Baked pumpkin. Yum." She wanted to eat this, but knew better. No eating properly until she'd lost all of her weight.

She sat down next to Dean in Charms class and tiny Professor Flitwick, after looking around to see that all were present, spoke from his stool.

"I think this class is ready to start learning levitation."

There was a murmur of excitement.

Professor Flitwick went about pairing people up. Kate ended up with Harry. She went down to sit with him. He smiled at her. Kate looked over at Ron and saw that he seemed to be suffering lockjaw. Hermione Granger had been paired with him. Kate couldn't tell which of them was more unhappy about this set-up.

"It'll either be good for them or the death of them." Kate mumbled to Harry.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing! Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick." Professor Flitwick had moved to a pile of books, which was taller than his stool, and still he stood at least a head shorter than Ron. "And saying the magic words properly is very important, too- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

Kate looked at the feather on the desk and didn't do a thing to it. Harry was busy trying to get it to float. _Harry, you're not saying it right,_ she thought to him, though the though-speak failed to reach his brain. She knew she could do it at once but didn't want to show-off. She half-heartedly mumbled something and waved her wand a bit. Behind them, Seamus had gotten aggravated with his and Parvati's feather, and so had prodded it and set fire to it. Parvati squealed. Kate, without thinking, muttered an anti-fire spell and put it out.

"Thanks." Seamus said, looking uncomfortable.

Kate shrugged. "Just keep your pyromania to yourself."

He repressed a grin, giving a side-long glance to his wide-eyed partner.

"Are you going to try?" Harry asked.

"I did try." Kate lied.

"No you didn't." Harry insisted.

"Fine. Don't laugh." She did it without giving it much thought and it started to drift into the air. She hadn't meant for that to happen. Before too many people could see, she squashed it down with her hand onto the desk.

"Why'd you do that?" Harry asked, looked stunned.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" Ron shouted from the next table over, waving his arms wildly.

"You're saying it wrong!" Hermione snapped.

Kate nodded her head in Hermione's direction. Harry mouthed a comprehending "oh."

"You do it then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

"Fine. _Wingardium Leviosa._" Their feather floated four feet into the air and Professor Flitwick practically squealed with delight and brought the whole class' attention to it.

Ron looked furious.

Kate's stomach moaned softly and her head spun. She had been getting slightly dizzy over the course of her weight-loss training. Had she cared to step on a scale, she would find that she had already lost twenty pounds and was well on her way to losing ten more. That would put her five pounds less than what she had once been. If she didn't start eating properly soon, she could gravely hurt herself. She didn't know how much weight she was losing because her face was still round, and that was one of the attributes she was working to lose.

Class was dismissed. Kate walked a distance behind Harry and Ron until Ron spoke up.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare, honestly." Ron said. "Well, except for Kate, but she's nice to _everyone_."

Hermione burst into tears and ran by them. Kate's eyes were wide. She didn't waste a minute in chasing Hermione. Kate caught up to Hermione easily and grabbed her shoulder.

"Stop!"

"No!" She hiccupped, and ducked into the bathroom. Kate groaned and followed her in.

"Hermione…." Kate wasn't sure what to say.

"It's true you know," she sobbed, eyes red and lashes sticking wetly together. "Nobody can stand me but you."

"That's _not _true." Kate disagreed fervently. "Are you going to listen to what Ron says? He was angry because he couldn't do it as fast as you could."

"Don't be stupid." Hermione snapped. "Everyone hates me, and you know it."

"Hate is not what I would interpret it as." Kate said softly. "I think you intimidate them."

Hermione sobbed harder. The bell rang and the next class had started. "Why are you here?"

"Because you're my friend." Kate said, rather hurt. "Aren't you?"

Hermione's body was shaking very hard with tears and she couldn't manage a response. Kate waited until Hermione's tears had subdued a bit before rubbing her friend's back.

A ghost poked her pearly-white head out from a bathroom stall, looking eagerly at Hermione.

"Myrtle," Kate recognized her, "how are you?" She asked delicately.

"Why is she crying? She doesn't have any friends?" Myrtle asked, looking delighted.

"No. She has me, so obviously she's got friends." Kate gritted her teeth.

"You're not really her friend," Myrtle grinned maliciously, "you just don't want to get into trouble, so you're trying to get her to feel better."

"Don't be thick." Kate snapped.

Hermione, who had graduated to silent sobs, burst out again and locked herself in a bathroom stall.

"Wonderful!" Kate muttered. "Why'd you have to do that? What do you accomplish by making people feel like crap, Myrtle?"

Myrtle's smile faded. "Nobody ever cared about me. You'd have made fun of me too."

"Ugh! That's not true." Kate rolled her eyes towards the sky, thinking she could have used some therapy at that moment.

"Then again, you're probably made fun of all the time, because of your glasses and braces and face." Myrtle became glum. "That's why people made fun of me."

"I'm sorry, Myrtle." Kate said, feeling aggravated. She was there to help a friend, not to be a counselor.

"No you're not." Myrtle began to cry, fat pearly tears rolling down her face. "You don't care either."

"If I didn't care, why would I be talking to you at all? I'm very good at ignoring people I don't care about. After all, I do have an irksome little sister."

"You want to ignore me?" Myrtle sobbed.

"Didn't you just hear what I said? I said that _if _I wanted to ignore you, I could. Obviously I don't."

Kate spent the better part of the afternoon trying to talk Myrtle into feeling better, which seemed a fruitless task. At the end, Myrtle flushed herself down the toilet and disappeared. Hermione was still crying behind her stall door. Kate started by just trying to comfort Hermione but ended up talking to her about things that had happened in her own life. Hermione was no longer sobbing loudly, when Parvati ducked in and saw Kate sitting on the floor talking to the bathroom stall.

"You okay, Kate?"

"I'm fine."

"Is Hermione still crying? Is she in here?"

"Yes." Kate emphasized, as Hermione began sniffling again.

"Oh, I'll just leave then, shall I?" Parvati turned away and sprinted out.

Kate breathed out and continued her story to Hermione about her life, noticing that it seemed to calm her down considerably. Rubbing her fingers across the grout on the floor, she thought back to everything that she could, to the first ankle twist that turned to tendonitis, to the diagnosis of her neuropathy and to the stupid colitis.

When Hermione finally spoke again, it was six thirty, and it was to ask a question about Kate's second disease.

"Ulcerative colitis is when the intestines bleed, right?"

"Yeah," Kate was glad that Hermione was finally talking. "That's pretty much it."

"Did that hurt?" Hermione poked her face out from the stall door, face bright with tears.

"A lot." Kate grimaced.

"And Madam Pomfrey got rid of it?"

"Yup. And now I'm off that medicine crap."

Hermione wiped her face on her sleeve. "Kate?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you talk to me even though I was a know-it-all?" Her eyes were wide and inquisitive.

"I guess it was because I was a know-it-all once and I knew there was more to you than book smarts and so on." Kate admitted. "I didn't think it was fair to judge you solely on a few impressions."

Hermione smiled weakly. "D'you like me?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

"For what?" Kate asked.

"Not judging."

"Any time." They started to get up when suddenly the bathroom door was slammed shut and locked. "Um…?" Hermione and Kate stared at one another.

"Oh gods, do you smell that?" Hermione covered her nose. The two of them looked up at once and saw a twelve foot tall, dull gray creature. It held a gigantic wooden club in its left hand, and allowed it to drag on the floor as it moved. Kate looked at it from its small, coconut-shaped head down to its flat, horny feet. She swallowed as she saw how thick and huge it was.

"Um… hi?" Kate tried. "Or is that a…."

"Troll!" Hermione spluttered. "AHHH!" She let out a high-pitched shriek.

Kate screamed too, mouth in a huge hole, but stopped when the troll began to lift up its club. Hermione and Kate scrambled backwards and slammed into the bathroom wall. Hermione, who had no more tears to shed, was breathing in short, uncontrolled gasps. _Don't hyperventilate, please,_ Kate prayed inwardly. The troll swung its club and the two of them ducked and covered their heads with their arms. The bathroom stalls were shattered and debris flew over and hit them.

"We have to get to the door!" Kate cried to Hermione.

"Okay, okay… AHH!" She yelled again.

Kate, back firmly pressed against the wall, began inching along. The troll was focused primarily on the screaming girl with bushy hair. Hermione kept pushing herself into the wall. Kate got to the door and started to try and open it.

"Oh my GODS! We're locked in!" The troll turned around on Kate and swung its club at her. She dodged just in time, flying to another end of the bathroom. The door burst open. The troll knocked into a sink and water spurt out. Kate was still covering her head, but could hear a voice say "Confuse it!"

Kate heard Hermione cry out again.

"Oy! Pea-brain!" There was a metallic clunk against the floor. Kate looked up carefully and saw Harry Potter and Ron Weasley attacking the troll and trying to get Hermione up from the opposite wall. Kate stood quickly and darted over to where Hermione was mouthing wordlessly at the troll.

"Come on, run, _run_!" Harry urged her, trying to pull her up. Kate appeared and grabbed Hermione's other arm. Harry looked at Kate, nodded and they pulled on Hermione together.

The troll looked very irritated at all of the noise and commotion and started towards Ron, who was firmly pressed into a corner as it was. Kate, who knew a great many spells, couldn't think of one that would apply to the current situation. Harry stood up and ran for the troll, wand in hand. He jumped up and wrapped his arms around the troll's shoulders. His wand went straight up the troll's nose. The troll roared with pain and tried to shake Harry off. Kate sent a bolt of red fire at the troll's leg, hoping to make it fall, thus giving Harry a chance to escape. It only further aggravated the troll, as it hopped around on one foot and continued swinging the club.

Ron whipped out his wand and cried out the first spell that came to mind: "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's grasp and floated momentarily above the troll's head before coming quickly down with a crack onto its owner's skull. The troll's eyes crossed slightly as it tottered. It fell with a great crash that made the room shake. Kate toppled over, wand out-stretched. She pushed herself quickly to her shaking legs and walked over to give Harry a hand up. She looked over at Ron, who still his wand raised, hardly believing what he had done.

Hermione squeaked, "Is it- dead?"

"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."

He bent over and took a hold of the wand and yanked it from the troll's nose. Kate grimaced as it pulled out a lump of blue-gray mucus.

"Yuck."

"Troll boogers. That's disgusting." Harry wiped the wand on the troll's trousers.

Kate squeezed Hermione's shoulder and then approached the fallen troll slowly. She put her hand to its chest and listening for breathing. Its heart-rate was slow and steady. She breathed a sigh of relief to know that they hadn't just killed it, though she wasn't sure if that would be such a bad thing.

Ron still had his wand above his head, eyes rounded.

There were hurried footsteps and a loud slamming. The four of them looked quickly up, realizing all the noise they must have been making. Someone obviously would have heard them. Kate had quite forgotten where they were in the heat of the moment. A second later, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Quirrell crowded into the room. Quirrell took one look at the troll and sat down quickly on an exposed toilet, the one Myrtle had escaped through a few hours ago. He clutched his heart and let out a faint whimper. Kate didn't like this. Something about him made her stomach squirm uncomfortably, though she had no idea why. She looked at the turban and felt her lower stomach clench hotly. There was a whispering in her ear that she couldn't be sure of. It seemed to be saying _run. _She looked away, back towards the remaining two teachers, and her heart sunk much lower.

Snape was busy checking the troll, but McGonagall was giving Harry, Kate and Ron looks that seemed quite capable of murder. Kate felt her cheeks flare hot-pink. McGonagall's lips were practically non-existent they were so thin and white.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" Professor McGonagall asked in a soft and dangerous tone. Ron didn't seem fazed, his wand was still raised. Harry looked as though he longed to bring it down for him. "You're lucky that you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Harry looked at the floor. Kate didn't understand what was going on and almost opened her mouth to ask what the problem was.

"Please, Professor McGonagall- they were looking for me." Hermione came out from the shadows.

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione stood on shaking legs.

"I went looking for the troll because I- I though I could deal with it on my own- you know, because I've read all about them."

Ron dropped his wand. Kate's mouth dropped. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose, Kate set fire to its leg and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Kate wasn't sure how to react, but she knew to keep her face blank as possible.

"Well- in that case…. Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. McGonagall scrutinized the other three as though waiting for an alternate truth. Harry and Ron's eyes looked full of surprise but the rest of the face was unreadable.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

Hermione left and Kate almost followed, but for McGonagall turning to face her, Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win five points for Gryffindor. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

The three of them hurried out of the bathroom and said not a word until they had climbed two floors up. Kate finally wiped her face in her trembling hands.

"That," Kate began, "will scar me for life."

"We should have gotten more than fifteen points, though." Ron grumbled.

"Ten, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."

Kate tilted her head. "I wonder why she chose that of all stories."

"To get us out trouble, I guess. It was good of her." Ron admitted. "Mind you, we _did _save her."

"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her."

"You _what_?! That was _you?!_" Kate whispered. "Oh my gods. Do you know what sort of ulcers that could cause in an old woman? No. Youth is wasted on the young."

Ron laughed hysterically, still shaken from the experience. Harry only smiled. They finally had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Pig snout," Harry said and they entered.

The room was crowded and noisy while the students ate the rest of the feast. Kate had forgotten about the Halloween feast. Her stomach, on the other hand, hadn't quite forgiven her lapse of memory. Hermione stood by the door waiting for the three of them. Kate said nothing while looking at the three of them in waiting.

The three of them said an awkward "thanks" at once. Kate bit her lip and hugged Hermione, then Ron, and then Harry. They went off to get plates together, in silence, mentally going over the past events.

Kate wasn't sure exactly what it was, but the mountain troll experience had certainly brought Hermione into a circle of friends and Kate's stomach felt warm and content even before the food reached her mouth.


	10. Anorexia Actually

That night, Kate had a dream before the usual dream about fighting a troll and then… a man with red eyes burst out from Professor Quirrell's turban and spoke to her.

"Kate… you are what I seek and what I will find." The voice was cold as ice and it chilled Kate to the bone.

"You will never have me." She retorted bravely.

There was a high-pitched laughter and Kate was thrust into another dream.

_Barefoot again… the path is rough…._ Kate's hair trailed down to her naked back. She was taller and slender. Kate put out a hand to push a tendril of hair out of her eyes. She saw the fork in the road. Both looked strange and frightening. _Which way will you choose? _Kate felt something rolling down her leg. She looked and saw what looked like liquid gold and silver. It pooled beneath her and took the form of….

_RUN!_

Kate sat up in bed, breathing in sharply. She shivered and changed into wind pants that were several sizes too big. She didn't notice that they didn't cling to her legs until she began to run. They were loose around her waist. That was surprising. She tied the drawstring tighter and went her usual route. Her stomach growled and her head spun. She should have eaten more for dinner. Maybe it was time to start eating normally again.

She got back to the common room and did her sit-ups and push-ups, adding five more to each set. In the shower she considered her repetitive dream again, wondering what it could possibly mean.

"A forked road means choices, of course." She said aloud to the painting of a roan centaur after she had gotten dressed. Sometimes, if she watched it long enough, it seemed as though it wanted to speak to her, but couldn't or wouldn't. She felt as though one day it might just open its mouth and say something, except that centaurs didn't much like humans according to magical beast book. She didn't think paintings would be much different. It opened its mouth, and Kate jumped, but it looked away without a word. "What are my choices, I wonder? One is silver and the other's gold. So there's an okay choice and a bad choice? Or is it that one is good and one is bad? And why am I naked in the dream? Is it because I can't hide from this choice? Ugh, I may never know."

She left the bathroom and felt the centaur watching her leave. "If you know something I don't, I wish you'd tell me." She said, and closed the door behind her.

"Still can't beat you up, can I?" Oliver Wood sat perched comfortably on his sofa.

"Give up, it's a fruitless task." Kate teased. "Unless you drug me, I don't think your plans will succeed."

"I like that idea." Oliver grinned evilly.

"Try it and I curse your nose off." Kate pushed her glasses up. The bridge of her nose was still wet from the shower.

"The first year is threatening me?" He acted offended.

"I do a lot more than threaten, you great big fifth year."

Oliver smiled. "Do you know if they caught that troll? I noticed that you came in a bit late."

"Yeah, they caught it."

"Were you there?"

"Sort of."

"Isn't that a 'yes' or 'no' question?"

"Depends on how you look at it."

"Do you know how they caught it?" The older boy asked curiously.

"They knocked it out."

"How'd it get in?"

Kate shrugged. "How's Quidditch going?"

"Pretty good. First match is next Saturday."

"Against who?"

"Slytherin." Wood pulled a face. "Dirty players."

Kate laughed. "They're not all so bad."

"The team is whether or not the rest of them are." Oliver explained pointedly.

"All right, I can't gainsay that." Kate smiled.

"You can't _what _say it?"

"Oops, sorry." Kate blushed. "Big words… little brain." Kate pointed to her own skull.

Wood stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Kate smiled goofily, feeling a little unprepared for his reaction. She yawned suddenly, feeling a mixture of dizziness and sleep-deprivation. Covering her mouth, she said an airy "excuse me," and leaned back into her seat. It felt as though water were running up and down the inner-sides of her skull.

"You should go back to bed if you're tired." Wood offered.

"And go back to disturbed dreams?"

"Disturbed dreams? What about?" The tall boy inquired curiously.

"Dunno, just disturbed. The word 'disturbed' floats across my eyes as I sleep in cursive." Kate said, thinking as quickly as she could for seven o'clock in the morning.

Oliver Wood thought about this one before shaking his head. "You really should get to bed."

"No," the freckled-girl shook her head, "I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway."

The captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team looked at her pensively, opened his mouth, shut it, and went back to what he had been working on. Kate pulled out a roll of parchment and began the assignment she had missed at the last period of Halloween.

"First Quidditch match is this Saturday." Harry said, sounding a bit nervous.

"Yes! You're going to show those dirty snakes, aren't you, Harry?" Seamus practically jumped with excitement.

Harry just swallowed.

"You'll do fine, mate." Dean clapped Harry's shoulder.

Harry smiled in a way that suggested he was struggling not to vomit.

Seamus and Dean trotted off to get some work done in the library.

"Don't think about it too much, that's the best plan." Kate finally said. Kate breathed into her cupped hands as they wandered out-of-doors into the chilly November air.

"Yeah, but it's kind of hard not to with practice all of the time," Harry shivered. _Quidditch Through the Ages_ was tucked securely under his arm.

Kate shrugged, not knowing how to console him at this.

Hermione and Ron came outside to join them.

"Gods, it's freezing out here!" Hermione shivered. She pulled out a jam jar and conjured a blue fire inside of it.

"Nice," Kate stood closer to its warmth gratefully. Hermione put it on the ground and the stood with their backs to it, talking amiably. Kate saw Professor Snape come limping out of the school. Harry, Ron and Hermione gathered closer around the fire so as not to let the Potions Master see their illegal fire. Kate backed into it as well. Snape saw them and limped over. He was looking at them, trying to find something to get them in trouble for.

"Are you all right, Professor?" Kate asked concernedly. "Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?"

Snape sneered. "That is none of your business, Ms. Slate. What's that you've got, Potter?"

Harry showed him the library book.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school. Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

Kate gaped at him.

"He just made that rule up," Harry muttered as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"I dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," Ron said bitterly.

Gryffindor was noisy that night. Everyone was excited for the first Quidditch match of the season tomorrow. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She wouldn't let them copy, which Kate quietly agreed with. Kate was staring blankly at the window, not looking forward to running in the bitter air that night.

"I think I'm going to go ask Snape for my book back." Harry said standing.

"Better you than me," Ron and Hermione said together.

Kate just shook her head at them. "Want me to come with you?"

"No, that's okay." Harry said shiftily, and then left.

Kate looked down at her fingers and saw that they were shaking. She wasn't all that cold, so she couldn't think of a cause.

"What's wrong?" Ron said, staring at her hands.

"I dunno." Kate shrugged, putting her hands back into her lap. She felt dizzy and sick at the same time. "I don't feel so well."

"Weird." Ron frowned.

"Do you think you should see Madam Pomfrey? What if you've got another disease?" Hermione looked at Kate's face.

"It'll probably go away. Maybe I'm just cold."

It was a few minutes later that Harry practically flew into the common room, looking as though he had just escaped hell by seconds.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked. "What's the matter?"

"Snape was bitten by the three-headed dog. I saw him showing Filch." Harry whispered. "That's why he was limping. You know what this means? He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him- he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick _he _let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

Kate frowned and Hermione's eyes were wide.

"No- he wouldn't. I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," Ron snapped, "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"

"I'm with Hermione on this one, guys." Kate shook her head. "The only teacher I'd suspect of anything, to be perfectly honest, is Professor Quirrell."

Hermione, Harry, and Ron just laughed at her. "Maybe you really are ill, Kate." Ron said.

"Seriously, there's something weird about him," Kate pleaded, "_seriously._"

"All right, go to bed." Harry pointed up the stairs. "You're touched in the head."

"Fine," Kate forced a laugh, but was feeling as though no one would possibly believe her on this. It was a gut feeling, but there was nothing she could pinpoint as actual evidence.

_Run! RUN! You are so slow… so slow… you will fail if you are so SLOW!_

"Ah!" She sat up in bet, whimpering softly. There was sweat all across her brow. The clock was too difficult to read without her glasses. She shoved her spectacles onto her sweaty face and saw that she had slept for little over three hours. Her heart raced with the rate of someone exercising strenuously. The Quidditch match was to be played in less than five hours. She wondered vaguely if Harry had gotten any sleep.

_I wish_ I_ could sleep,_ she thought bitterly.

Pulling her wind pants on, she looked down and saw her hip bones jutting out more than they had during her entire life. Wondering if perhaps it was the angle she was standing at the moment, she ignored them and stood upright. She descended the girls' staircase silently and swiftly. In the common room, Oliver Wood lay sleeping on the sofa in front of the fire. Kate chuckled softly and left to go on her run, trusting he wouldn't wake until after she returned.

Her run was hampered only by her dizziness and the strange looseness of her garments. Continually she had to tug her pants up past her naval. She collapsed against the castle wall, perspiration on an all-time high. Her stomach screamed for food and her head ached awfully. She put her hand to her argumentative stomach and felt the muscles that had become steadily more prominent. She ascended into the common room, did her exercises, paused to see if Wood was still asleep, and slipped into the bathroom.

Kate stripped and showered. Looking down, she was able to count her ribs. Her eyes widened; how could she not have noticed that she was this skinny? She had never been so skinny in her life. For her height, she was about ten pounds underweight at this time. Her hair, warm with water, clung to her neck as she emerged from the shower. She looked into the mirror and looked in shock at her skinny body. The only thing that gave any semblance of fatness was in her chin… yet… it was… almost gone. Her cheeks weren't nearly as jolly… in fact… they looked nearly hollow. Dressing quickly, Kate passed by the painting of the centaur. It stared at her in a way that suggested it knew more about her than she did. She glared at it, rather crankier than she was used to and left without a word.

Her robes floated about her skinny frame, barely brushing her flesh. Oliver Wood had woken up and was sitting upright watching for her.

"Damn," he smiled, "I thought I might see you get up."

"Nope. But I saw you sleeping." She said softly. "Big game today." She stated unnecessarily.

"Yeah." Wood nodded, looking grim, yet excited. "You're coming, right?"

"Of course," Kate said, nearly collapsing. Her hands were trembling at her sides. These symptoms reminded her of something she had heard about frequently. Gods, what was it?

"You okay?" Wood frowned.

"I just need to sit down…." Kate walked towards the sofa and fell over. "Jeez," she whispered, hardly able to move. "I'm… oh…."

"Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?" Oliver stood up, looking terrified on her behalf.

Kate tried to nod, but this final action put her into blackness. _Death… it could be worse…._


	11. Quidditch I

There was a cool hand on her forehead and two concerned faces peering at her.

"You feel all right?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"No, yes… I mean… I'm alive?" Kate whispered.

"What's wrong with her?" Wood asked.

"She hasn't been eating."

"I have too!" Kate argued. "Just… not too much."

"You need to start eating properly," Madam Pomfrey scolded. "You have lost over thirty pounds in two months."

"Oh, that much? That's more than I meant to…." Kate shook her head. "How long was I out?"

"Hardly twenty minutes. You're lucky that these symptoms have only just started. You can still get back into a proper diet, young lady."

Kate nodded, feeling liable to cry. "I'm sorry."

"Eat something during breakfast, and I don't mean a couple of slices of bread."

Light was streaming in through the infirmary window.

"Get to breakfast, then, Mister Wood. I'll be feeding my patient a proper meal." Madam Pomfrey shooed Wood from the room. He left, giving Kate a final worried look. The nurse conjured up some oatmeal, eggs and orange juice and watched to make sure she finished every bite. Kate was humiliated that she had been caught. Her father was a doctor and her mother was a nurse. All during her life she had been told how eating disorders were bad and so forth. What would her parents say if they found out?

The school nurse didn't allow her to leave until she was sure she had let the food settle in her stomach. She checked Kate for signs of other possible eating disorders and pronounced her "somewhat healthy." Kate slipped from the room, patches of pink shame coming to her cheeks. When she returned to the common room, only the early risers were up and doing homework. Hermione was re-reading her Charms book.

"I didn't see you at breakfast," Hermione frowned at her.

Kate shrugged. "I'm going to get some sleep."

"Okay, I'll wake you before the game then, shall I?"

Smiling shakily, Kate agreed and walked trembling up the stairs. Falling instantly asleep, she avoided crying.

A few hours later, Hermione sat on the edge of her four-poster, shaking her shoulder gently.

"S'about time to start." She said. Kate sat up and scrunched her eyes against her knuckles. "Wait until you see the poster Seamus, Dean and I made."

Kate grinned, feeling much happier. The two of them walked quickly down the Quidditch pitch, which was already full of expectant fans, eager for the first game of the season. Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville were already in the top row waiting for Kate and Hermione. Lavender and Parvati sat a row ahead of them, chatting with Ravenclaws Padma Patil and Mandy Brocklehurst. Kate and Hermione threw a quick "hello" to them and sat back in her seat, staring excitedly at the pitch.

The goals did look very much like the bubble-wands that Kate had played with when she was younger. There were six, three on either side. The day was clear and sunny; apparently perfect weather for a Quidditch match. The pitch was far below the seats and Kate wondered how clear the game would be to monitor.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Seamus greeted Kate.

Kate grinned almost apologetically, crossing her arms against her bony ribs. "Your banner rocks my socks." She moved her head up to indicate the banner that floated above the stands reading "Potter for President" in changing colors with a Gryffindor lion underneath.

"Thanks." Dean said, smiling.

"Ooh, the game! It's starting!" Seamus clapped his hands together and leaned forward.

A hush fell over the stands as the two teams entered the pitch. The fourteen players gathered around Madam Hooch, who seemed to be giving last-minute instructions.

"Look at the size of the Slytherin players!" Kate whispered to Ron. "Harry looks so tiny next to them."

Ron nodded. "That's why Madam Pomfrey is here, I'll wager."

"You don't think she's here to enjoy the match?" Hermione asked.

Ron just muttered something about the players mounting their brooms, ears turning pink.

There was a tweet from the whistle below and the brooms shot into the air.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too-."

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Kate looked up to see Lee Jordan, friend of the Weasley twins, with a magical megaphone next, to a wary Professor McGonagall.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve- back to Johnson and- no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes- Flint flying like an eagle up there- he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle- that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and- OUCH- that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger- Quaffle taken by the Slytherins- that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger- sent his way by Fred of George Weasley, can't tell which- nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes- she's really flying- doges a speeding Bludger- the goal posts are ahead- come on, no, Angelina- Keeper Bletchley dives- misses- GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Gryffindors cheered wildly. Kate stared in awe at the players, amazed at their aptitude for the game. It looked extremely difficult from where she sat. The players zoomed around in red and green blurs. It made her think of Christmas blobs or something equally bizarre.

"Budge up there, move along."

"Hey, Hagrid!" Kate said, grinning at the gamekeeper.

Hermione squished Kate against Ron to give Hagrid enough room to join them.

"Bin watchin' from me hut," Hagrid said, tapping a large pair of binoculars strapped about his neck. "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"Nope," Ron shook his head, eyes fixated on the game as though the Snitch might suddenly appear, "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."

"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," Hagrid lifted his binoculars to watch Harry as he drifted aimlessly through the sky.

"Really high up there," Kate shook her head, "this isn't a game for the height-o-phobes."

Hagrid chuckled, "No, certainly not."

There was a surprised murmur suddenly and Kate saw too, there was a golden speck and the Seekers began to chase it ferociously. Harry was just a bit faster than Higgs… he was so close! Kate crossed her fingers for him, nearly breaking them at the knuckles she was squeezing so hard-

WHAM!

"What the-!" Kate shouted. "What are you thinking, you great lug!" Kate yelled at the Slytherin player, Marcus Flint, who had intentionally blocked Harry. Harry flew off course and Kate was momentarily afraid that he would plummet to his death. She stood, gripping the row in front of her.

"FOUL!" The Gryffindors shouted around her.

Madam Hooch gave the Gryffindors a free shot. Meanwhile Dean was getting his word in.

"Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Dean?" Ron frowned.

"Red card! In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!" Dean said furiously.

"But this isn't soccer, Dean,"

"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air," Hagrid agreed with Dean.

Lee Jordan began to have difficulties staying a neutral commentator.

"So- after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-."

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall growled.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-."

"_Jordan__, I'm warning you-_."

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Kate shook her head and looked back at Harry to see how he was doing.

"Slytherin in possession- Flint with the Quaffle- passes Spinnet- passes Bell- hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose- only joking, Professor- Slytherins score- oh no…."

The Slytherins were cheering now.

Kate looked up at the speck that was Harry. Hagrid was doing the same but with the enhanced vision of his binoculars.

"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," he mumbled, "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom… but he can't have…."

Kate suddenly was able to see what Harry was doing. He was being jerked roughly around and his broom was rolling all over the place. He barely managed to hold on but… the whole crowd gasped as Harry swung off suddenly. He was just dangling from it… one handed.

"Oh my gods," Kate started biting her thumb nervously.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.

"Can't have," Hagrid's voice was tremulous. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic- no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

Hermione let out a little gasp and grabbed Hagrid's binoculars. Instead of watching Harry, she looked frantically around the crowd.

"What are you doing?" Ron moaned, looking ill.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape- look."

Ron took a peak and then allowed Kate to look. Snape had his eyes fixed on Harry and he was muttering nonstop under his breath. Kate frowned and looked a bit further to the side and saw Quirrell doing a very similar activity.

"He's doing something- jinxing the broom," Hermione breathed.

"Quirrell…."

"What should we do?" Ron interrupted.

"Leave it to me,"

"But-." Hermione had already disappeared. "I have a very bad feeling about this." Kate muttered.

"Yeah… yeah…." Ron watched Harry desperately. The Weasley twins had flown up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good- every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher into the air. They finally gave up and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Flint, ever the cheater, grabbed the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

"Come on, Hermione." Ron muttered fervently.

Kate looked through the binoculars to look at Quirrell. Hermione's bushy hair was just visible behind him and suddenly Quirrell was knocked head-first into the row in front of him. Hermione plummeted on without looking back at Quirrell. Kate looked back at Harry; his broom had already begun to calm down. Then Kate saw that Hermione was behind Snape lighting fire to his robes. Kate hoped that she wouldn't harm him. Hermione pulled the fire away once Snape had turned to look at what was scalding him.

Harry, at this point, was able to clamber back onto his broom.

"Neville, you can look!"

Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes. Kate reached over to pat Neville's hand.

Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was going to be sick- he hit the field on all fours- Kate jumped again to her feet- he coughed and something gold fell into his hand.

Harry waved his closed fist into the air and shouted.

The game ended in utter confusion. Kate wasn't sure whether to cry or to cheer.

Flint, the Slytherin captain howled for twenty minutes afterwards how Harry had only swallowed it, not caught it, but the win had been fair-and-square, unlike Slytherin's extra fifty points thanks to Flint's cheating. But Gryffindor won anyway; 170 to 60.

Hagrid left the stands to go and speak to Harry, trailed by Kate, Hermione and Ron.


	12. Winter Holz

In his hut, he was making a pot of strong tea for all five of them.

"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione, Kate and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."

"Rubbish," Hagrid started.

"Quirrell was doing the same, if you had cared to look." Kate said furtively. "And you _did_ knock him over, Hermione. After that, Harry's broom was all right again."

"Kate! Quirrell? What do you have against him? Come on!" Ron said exasperatedly. "It was Snape!"

"Snape was the one bitten by the three-headed dog. He's the one trying to steal whatever it's guarding." Harry stared incredulously at Kate.

Hagrid dropped the teapot.

"How do you know about Fluffy?"

"_Fluffy_?" The four of them chimed.

"Yeah- he's mine- bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year- I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-."

"Yes?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to _steal _it!"

"Rubbish," Hagrid repeated. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione cried out. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong! I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student!" He looked to Kate next. "And why yeh'd suspect Quirrell is beyond me. I don' know what sort o' people yeh met in America, but Quirrell wouldn' harm a fly." Then he continued. "Now, listen to me, all four of yeh- yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel-."

"Aha!" Harry said triumphantly. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid's face was red with anger at himself.

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December Kate had awoken from another dream to go on her run and found the grounds covered in a foot of snow. Her breath rose in a white mist before her. She had to jerk her legs high into the air in order to move at all. The lake was frozen solid. Kate wondered where the mermaids had gone during this time. Exhausted from her more difficult run, Kate sat down on the ice and looked inquiringly into its black depths.

She went back into the castle, showered, and changed into her robes. Nobody was awake, even Oliver Wood hadn't attempted to beat her up this morning. The centaur in the girls' bathroom was even sleeping. In a fit of intense boredom, Kate snuck out of the portrait hole and wandered down the hallway. It was probably about four in the morning. Kate walked down past the library and looked at the various coats of armor. One was leaning against its sword as though sleeping. Curiously, she looked at the door beside it. Checking to make sure no one was around, she tentatively tested the door knob. She snuck into the room. It was an empty classroom.

"Poo," she whispered. She had been hoping to find something interesting. Then, she didn't know how it hadn't struck her before, her attention was caught by a large mirror that reached the ceiling, with an incredibly intricate gold frame. Her mouth fell open and transformed into a grin. Kate squinted to read the inscription: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi._

Kate stared again, trying to make heads or tails of it.

"It's a mirror, so it's probably backwards. Ishow no tyo urfac ebu tyo urhe arts desire. Desire. And arts. Wait…." She thought again. "I show not your face but your hearts desire! Huh!" She stepped in front of the mirror wondering what exactly it did. Then she looked at herself and gasped.

There stood a gorgeous and statuesque girl with flowing brown hair that reached the bottom of her back, dazzling eyes without gigantic glasses, a brilliant smile, and a perfect figure. Behind her stood a handsome boy and he took her hand in his. Kate moved her own hand and the girl in the mirror did the same.

_I show not your face…_ Kate touched the mirror._ But your heart's desire. Yeah, I'd like to be pretty._ She sighed and backed away, touching her short hair as she went. She returned to the common room, though the Fat Lady clucked her tongue disapprovingly at her.

That remaining week at school, Fred and George were given punishment for torturing Quirrell by chasing him with snowballs, the owls were nursed frequently back to health by Hagrid, and the corridors had become frigid. Kate always made her shower particularly hot in the morning. Though she had been eating normally again, she still looked as though her flesh and bones were all that her body consisted of. Her legs had gotten quite the shape from all of the running and the deep snow had helped to contribute to that.

Professor McGonagall was sending a list around of students who would be staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Kate had no objection to going back home to Privet Drive with her parents. Harry and Ron were staying at the castle. Malfoy, still sore about losing to Gryffindor in Quidditch, took this as another approach to being cruel to Harry. No one responded to this new unkind action, because Harry was glad to be staying away from his family.

The quartet of friends had spent every bit of free time in the library searching for the elusive Nicolas Flamel, who seemed to have done nothing. He seemed as obscure as the next wizard. Hagrid, when he had heard about this, had gone off at them. Kate didn't press him to tell them more, agreeing that it probably wasn't their business. Not that that stopped her from being curious and avidly searching. Harry, Ron and Hermione still made fun of her for thinking that Quirrell was guilty. When Kate said that they should ask Madam Pince about Flamel, the other three had quickly put this off as a bad idea. Because even Hermione thought it might get back to Snape "or Quirrell, since you're so intent on it being him," Kate was forced to agree with their logic.

The day that the Holidays were to properly start, Kate was up and running as usual. She got down past Hagrid's hut with his gift. She had ordered it for him a month ago. Kate had seen it in a magazine and couldn't help but think of Hagrid. It was a gigantic walking stick that was carved to be in the likeness of a dragon. She was having trouble running with the package and so stopped at his door, breathing heavily, arms aching, and legs feeling like play-dough. She placed it carefully on his doorstep, making sure that the card was signed and filled out properly for a last time when a large hand came down heavily on her shoulder. It took every bit of self-restraint to keep from screaming.

"Hagrid!" She smiled and then blushed. "Um…."

Hagrid grinned at her from behind his beard, beaming at her. "Don' worry. I haven't said a thing and never will."

"Thank you." Kate looked down and looked back up happily.

"I came out ter wish yeh a good holiday. And ter give yeh this." He handed Kate a clumsily wrapped package. "Yer Christmas package."

"Thank you so much!" She glanced at the package and then beamed at Hagrid, leaned forward and wrapped her arms as far around his figure as she could manage. He pat her on the back.

"'Tis gettin' early. Yeh'd best get back up to yer room."

"Yeah. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, Hagrid. Have a good holiday."

He waved a gigantic hand at her as she ran back up the castle, pausing to look over her shoulder and wave back. She ascended back into the common room and watched out the window as the half-giant walked back into his hut, taking his package with him. She imagined that he was smiling but couldn't know from that distance. Her heart felt warm and soon her body was just as warm from a friendly shower.

"Happy holidays, Centaur." She said amiably to the painting. "I promise to have a name made up for you by the time I get back."

The centaur looked curiously at her.

"After all, I can't keep calling you Centaur. I wouldn't like to be called Human as a name, after all." She readjusted her glasses and stared at the centaur, as though coming to a name. "I've got it, I'll call you Fergus."

The centaur looked affronted and finally opened his mouth. "I beg your pardon!" He spoke with a Scottish brogue. "But my name is certainly not Fergus."

Kate didn't say anything, afraid that he might stop.

He stopped anyway.

"Oh? Then what is it?"

He glared at her. "I am called Druce."

"I beg your pardon, Druce." Kate bowed her head, heart racing excitedly.

"I suppose I can forgive you." His eyes softened.

"My name is Kate." She offered. "Short for Kathryn."

"Yes. Purity. Your name means purity." He nodded sagely. "Get thee to your home, young Kathryn. Your family misses you. Mars has been exceptionally bright and Cygnus begun to shine perceptively in the heavens." He added randomly.

Kate frowned. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

But Druce trotted out of his portrait. Kate desperately hoped that centaurs weren't usually like this. She left the warmth of the bathroom to find Oliver Wood sitting on the squashy red sofa, awaiting her arrival. She slumped over next to him, legs stiff.

"I will never beat you out of bed, will I?"

"Never."

"Damn."

"Are you going or staying for the holidays?"

"Going." Wood said.

"Me too." Kate's eyes wandered back out the window to Hagrid's hut.

"So, why is it you get up so early?" Wood asked again. "I don't buy any of your other stories."

"It is my secret." Kate said in a contrived French accent.

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll take it as a Christmas present."

Kate had to laugh. She shoved her glasses further onto her face. "Alright. I do it so I can run in the morning."

"Really?" Wood's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah."

"Wow. That's determination."

"Well, I always wake up from a nightmare… where I can't run. It bugs me, so I'm sort of proving to myself that I can run." Kate thought of the path and how her feet were so rooted to it, but didn't tell him any of that. She squinted through glasses. There seemed to be a spot on them. She took them off and started rubbing at them with her robes. She looked through them directly at the fire and then was satisfied, so was about to put them back on, but Wood stopped her.

"You have pretty eyes." He said, holding her arm out.

Kate blushed. "Thanks." She felt uncomfortable.

Wood flushed too. "Sorry, I've just never seen you with your glasses off before. You just look different."

Kate shoved them on, feeling as though they were a sudden security blanket.

"Sorry," Wood said again.

"No, it's okay. No one really sees me without them. Heck, I don't see me without them, not that I can see more than an inch in front of my nose without them."

Wood grinned and ruffled her hair playfully.

Later that morning, Hermione, Kate and Dean, Seamus and Neville all boarded the train together. They sat in the compartment discussing their holiday plans.

"Well, Gran always has all of the relatives over." Neville explained. "It's usually really boring." Neville turned pink. "But Aunt Edna makes a really good rice pudding."

"Mum doesn't like wizard crackers, but we always have them anyway." Seamus explained. "My cousins, uncles and aunts always come to visit. Or else we visit them. Only the ones from the wizarding side come usually. Sometimes Mum's sister comes, but not usually."

Hermione, Kate and Dean felt that their stories were all pretty similar.

"It's our first Christmas in England, so I doubt we'll have anyone over." Kate shrugged.

The door swung open to admit three Slytherin boys.

"Back to the Muggle world for all of you, eh? No Potter or Weasley, I gather. Probably too expensive for the weasel family." Malfoy and his cronies cackled. Kate rolled her eyes and was about to ask them to leave when Malfoy turned to scrutinize her. "I see you've been losing weight, Slate." Malfoy glared at Kate as though trying to see whether or not she was just hiding it. "Magical formula?"

"Malfoy, if you've nothing else to say, why don't you just leave?" Kate said coolly. "The mood in here was very nice until you arrived."

Crabbe cracked his knuckles and then nudged Goyle to do the same.

"What's going on in here?" A boy's voice floated in over the three Slytherin's heads. Oliver Wood pushed his way into the compartment. "These boys aren't giving you trouble, are they Kate?"

Kate looked at the three of them and saw them looking nervously at Oliver's brawny arms.

"See you later, Slate." Malfoy motioned to his friends to follow him out.

"Not anymore apparently." She said in response to Wood's earlier question. "Thanks."

"I just came in to give you your present."

"Oh no! I didn't get one for you!" Kate blushed.

"Yes you did," Wood grinned. "Forgotten so soon? Here," he handed her a package. "Don't open it 'til Christmas, or it will explode."

"That's reassuring."

"I know." And he left.

Kate's parents were glad to see her arrive from the platform, wearing normal Muggle clothing that was far too loose for her. She was wearing a gigantic, white, turtle-neck and some even baggier jeans that she had had to tie a rope around. Her father took her trunk for her, placing it on a trolley for her and then hugged his daughter. Her mother hugged and kissed her happily. Kate tossed her hands around their necks and whooped excitedly. She hadn't realized how much she had missed them. Her friends were also getting off of the train and were wishing Kate happy holidays.

"Oh, Mom, Dad, I want you to meet my friends. This is Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you, I've heard so much." Mrs. Slate said eagerly.

The children's parents came over and spoke with one another, introducing themselves. Kate's parents, as they told her later, truly liked her friends and were happy for her luck in finding friends.

"How has this year been so far?" Her father asked from behind the wheel.

Kate was staring out of the window, thinking that she was approaching the end of her dream. "It's been excellent." Kate said. "It's just exciting."

"We've missed you a lot." Mrs. Slate turned to face Kate, her hazel eyes filled with tears. "It just reminds me how much you're growing up." Her mother hadn't highlighted her hair in awhile and it had become a darker brown again. "You should see the house. It's all finished up."

Privet Drive was covered in a few inches of snow and the lights on the houses made it look like a winter wonderland. The moon was shining brilliantly in the wintry sky. The stars were gorgeous in the velvet of night. Kate remembered something that Druce the centaur had said about Cygnus and looked for the constellation. Then she remembered that Cygnus was a summer constellation. She exhaled heavily in a billow of white air.

When they got home, Meghan was lying in front of the television, watching a cartoon show lazily, sprawled on the floor. By her side was a strongly scented pine tree, already decorated with a few sparse ornaments. Meghan stood up eagerly and hugged her elder sister.

"Hey… Jolly… whoa…." She let go and stared in awe at her small-waist-ed sister. "Where did your cheeks go?"

"Yes, I barely recognized you in the station," her father agreed. "Are they starving you at that school of yours?"

"Certainly not." Kate laughed, thinking of the sumptuous feasts that were served.

"I almost thought the same, but then Neville Longbottom was still round-faced as ever." Mrs. Slate smiled.

"You have a tree," Kate remarked. "A real tree."

"Yes, well, we sold the false, so we thought it would be all right to splurge just this once." Dr. Slate shrugged.

Mrs. Slate came over to Kate and tugged at her shirt. "We need to get you a new wardrobe this summer." She lifted her shirt up and saw the rope around the pants. Playfully, she poked Kate's navel. Kate rewarded her with a squeak.

She spent that night with her parents properly recounting all of her school activities, tactfully leaving out anything to do with her suspicions of Quirrell, her nightmares, and running. When she told them about the troll situation, her parents looked astonished and horrified. From that point on, she never told them of a dangerous occurrence again for fear that they would take her from the school. Her sister kept bringing the troll up, again and again. Kate wondered if it would be alright to wipe her memory.

"So you fought a troll? How big was it?"

"It was a small troll," Kate said. "It was maybe a few inches taller than me." She recalled the gigantic troll that stood at least ten feet into the air.

"Oh, then who cares?" Meghan got bored quite early with the discussions of her school. Before everyone went off to bed, Kate snuck the presents that she had gotten for her family under the tree and followed everyone upstairs. Her room was just as she had left it, except that her mother had taken the liberty to paint it a creamy green color.

She collapsed into bed, her parents staying to wish her goodnight. Her tuck-in lasted far longer than it ever had. She hadn't been tucked in for years and supposed that she shouldn't have been shocked by this sudden display of love, having been absent for a few months.

Still having her nightmares, she continued to run even while at home.

Kate and her sister went out sledding quite a bit. One day when her sister didn't feel like going out and her parents were over at the Danby's, Kate went to visit old Mrs. Figg.

She knocked on the door a couple of times before the batty old woman came out, dressed in a festive robe.

"Hello?" She looked at Kate without any sign of recognition.

"Hi, Mrs. Figg. Remember me? Kate Slate?"

"Oh yes!" The old woman clapped her hands together. A cat brushed by her ankles to get a look at Kate. "Come in for some cocoa. I have it sitting on the stove."

"Thank you," Kate smiled, pink-cheeked from the cold. She followed the old woman into her house, which was overrun with bizarre, yet friendly, cats. Mrs. Figg walked over to a cupboard, took out two coffee mugs and filled them to the brim with cocoa. She took a seat at the counter and motioned that Kate should do the same. "How have you been, Mrs. Figg?"

"Oh, very much the same as ever. Nothing new ever happens around this town. How is school going for you?"

"Very well," Kate said cautiously.

Mrs. Figg was testing her cocoa against her lips before sipping it. Kate allowed the warmth of the beverage to go through the orange mug and into her fingertips. She realized suddenly that she was still wearing her coat. Taking it off, she draped it over the back of her seat.

"Where is it you go?" Mrs. Figg asked, looking back up at Kate.

Kate thought very hard. She didn't know any of the boarding schools besides Hogwarts. What if Mrs. Figg knew every school in the area?

"Keeping to the Statute of Secrecy, aren't you?" Mrs. Figg smiled warmly at Kate.

"You… you knew I was a witch?" Kate's mouth dropped.

"Yes. I may be a Squib but I know these things. Whenever a new witch comes into the area, I'm supposed to know these things." Mrs. Figg shook her head.

"Oh," Kate felt uncomfortable, though Mrs. Figg seemed perfectly cheerful. "So, why is it… well… how come Harry didn't know? I mean, you watch him all the time…."

"He still cannot know." Mrs. Figg said sharply. "Say nothing of this to him." She glared at Kate. Kate leaned further back into her chair and squeaked.

"I won't, I promise." Her eyes were wide in shock.

Mrs. Figg's face broke into a smile.

A cat leapt into Kate's lap and started purring. The rest of their conversation was pleasant and rather avoided more magical topics. Kate left an hour after and returned home.


	13. Flamel and the Pool

Christmas morning, Meghan bounded into Kate's room to find that her older sister had, for the first time in history, beaten her up on Christmas morning. Kate was already showering from her daily run and had quite forgotten what day it was. Her parents weren't up for another few hours, so Meghan and Kate sat on her bed discussing what they might have gotten as gifts this year. The tree had a fair few presents waiting beneath it.

Meghan, Kate noticed, had become slightly fonder of her in her absence. She certainly talked civilly to Kate longer than was normal for the blonde to do.

"So Pamela is kind of weird… she thinks hamsters are the coolest things on this planet. I would feel bad for her but she's always following me everywhere. Ellie and I try to avoid her but she's _always_ there!" Meghan whispered in exasperation. "There's no nice way to tell her to bugger off!"

"Did you just say 'bugger off,' Meghan?" Kate grinned.

Meghan clapped a hand to her mouth. "I'm going British!"

Both girls giggled until there came a resolute knock on the door.

"Oh girls," Dr. Slate's deep voice resonated into the room. "Christmas has begun,"

The sisters bounded out of the room, practically bowling their father over in excitement. Their mother was already downstairs preparing the traditional coffee cake breakfast. Meghan grabbed her father's hand and tromped down the stairs as quickly as her legs permitted. Kate followed closely behind, her legs aching from the extra distance she had gone during her morning run.

"Merry Christmas, folks." Her mother put the coffee cake into the oven and gave everyone some eggnog. Kate smelled the nutmeg sprinkled on top eagerly. The family took seats inside of the den; Meghan quickly donned the Santa cap and started distributing gifts. Kate had given her sister an assortment of magical sweets, her father a book on alchemy, and her mother some magically traceable golf balls. Mrs. Slate was always losing her balls during golf.

Meghan had gotten Kate a book from a Muggle bookshop. _Ella Enchanted_ was one of her favorite books, so she deeply appreciated it. Her parents had made her save their gift for last. They had gotten her a magical dentistry kit.

"Meaning the retainer can go." Dr. Slate said proudly.

"Really!" Kate removed her retainer, putting it in a napkin. The roof of her mouth tickled. She opened the instruction packet and took out the mold. Before the coffee cake was ready, she and her father had worked out how to use it. Of course, using it would require that she couldn't eat for an hour, so they decided to do breakfast first, followed by teeth brushing. She and Dr. Slate sat down and put the mold into her mouth. Her teeth felt as though there was clay hanging onto them. She took her wand and tapped it against the mold. Dr. Slate watched his watch. She would have to sit with the mold on for five minutes. During that time, Mrs. Slate and Meghan were playing with the magical candy Kate had given to Meghan.

"Ew, it was pickle-flavored!" Meghan gagged.

"Haha, I got strawberry," Mary Jane teased.

"Time's up," Dr. Slate said.

The mold slid easily off of her teeth. She took the mold and threw it in the garbage and went to inspect her teeth in the mirror.

"Wow," she licked her retainer-lacking teeth. "They're whiter too."

"Keep your retainer, just in case." Dr. Slate encouraged. "Your teeth look really good."

Kate smiled, a grin lacking a retainer and jolly cheeks. She washed off her retainer and stored it away in a bag. The whole family spent the rest of the day together. It proved to be a very nice Christmas.

While in her room, she opened her gifts from other friends alone. Hermione had gotten her a gigantic book about the runes. Ron had given Kate a box of chocolate frogs. Harry had sent her some Bertie Botts. Lavender and Parvati had decided to get a three-way friendship necklace and gave the third piece to Kate. It had a golden chain and small purple butterfly with their names in it. Dean had given her some soccer cards and Seamus had retaliated by giving her a Quidditch poster. The players moved around, so Kate thought it would be best not to put it up until she could make sure that no Muggles would be seeing it. Neville had sent her some sugar quills. Hagrid had given her a homemade red sweater that was far too big for her, but she wore it anyway. Wood, to her surprise, had given her a dream-catcher, with a note saying "to keep those bad dreams away, maybe I'll be able to get up before you now." She laughed at this.

Kate left her family with a goodbye and left on the train for Hogwarts, wearing Hagrid's sweater over a pair of her sister's jeans. Her own jeans were just too big for her now. Hagrid beamed at her when she returned still wearing his gift, the sleeves rolled up many times. She smiled at him and entered the castle with her friends.

Harry and Ron greeted Hermione and Kate asking quickly about their vacations, but no one took time to go over them in depth. They were back on the Nicolas Flamel hunt.

"So Harry got an invisibility cloak from someone for Christmas," Ron said quietly.

"From who?" Hermione asked, pushing her bushy hair over her shoulder.

"We don't know." Harry said softly. "But I used it to look up Nicolas Flamel… rather… tried to. The Restricted Section literally _screams_ at you if you open a book without permission." Harry shuddered. "I went at night, so that would have been doubly bad."

"Harry! You were wandering around after hours? You could have gotten into serious trouble!" Hermione scolded. Before Ron or Harry could protest, she continued. "But did you find anything on Flamel?"

"No," Harry said. "I didn't. I did find the Mirror of Erised though."

"The what?" Hermione asked, frowning. She pushed her hair behind her ears.

"What did you see?" Kate asked at the same time. Hermione turned to look at her inquisitively. "It shows your heart's desire." She explained quickly to Hermione. "Basically, whatever you most wish for."

"Oh," Hermione said softly, clearly feeling lost at her lack of knowledge.

"How did you know that?" Ron said aghast.

"I read it in the inscription. I found it too." Kate blushed, realizing that they might ask what she had seen. Maybe she had no business asking Harry what he had seen. That could be incredibly private.

"I saw my family," Harry said. "Ron saw himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain."

"Oh," Kate said. "What did you do?"

"I went back a couple of times, but Dumbledore told me that it would drive me mad if I continued." Harry said, looking slightly pink in the cheeks. "And he said that they were moving it."

"'They' being who?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Dunno. He just said it was moving. I assumed it was him that would move it."

"So you spent a few nights looking at yourself in a mirror…."

"That showed his family," Kate interrupted.

"…and you found nothing on Flamel?" Hermione ignored Kate.

"Right. But I still think that I've heard of him before." Harry said pensively.

Ron stopped and looked at Kate. "When did you find the mirror?"

"Oh, I don't remember. A few weeks back. I was bored one morning and looked around for awhile until I found that." Kate shrugged.

"What did you see?" Ron stared at her.

"A mirror with an inscription," Kate said, flushing.

"Did you look in it?"

"Yes," Kate said slowly.

"Well come on, what did you see? We told you ours." Ron said eagerly.

"I… I was… older. And prettier." Kate turned even darker. She looked away from her group and saw Oliver Wood talking to Fred and George about a gag gift they had sent him. "Excuse me," she started leaving to talk to him. He was walking away from Fred and George just as Kate finally approached him.

"Hello," Wood smiled.

"Thanks for the dream catcher. I'll be hanging it on my bed." Kate smiled. "But you probably won't beat me up anyway."

"Why would our Oliver duff you up?" Fred asked in mock alarm.

"No-." She started but Wood cut her off.

"Because she's been a bad little firstie." He punched her in the arm.

"Ow," she mocked pain. "I'm getting out of here. Creeps." She joked, shooting a nervous glance at them.

Caitlin Eusden was a particularly good friend of Kate's. She had always been there to help her with her homework or help her find a class. She was a third year student with a pleasant smile and a pretty face full of freckles. The older girl often told Kate that they were connected by freckles, though, Kate was unsure what she meant by this. Caitlin Eusden and Sarah Smithers, a Ravenclaw, were good friends who were as close to pranksters as the rules would allow. They mostly liked to say goofy things and see how many people would believe what they made up and then discredit it about a week later.

"Kate!" Caitlin had rushed up to her in the corridor one day. Lavender and Parvati had been talking about a new shade of lipstick and what clothing it would look best with. "Kate, you need to come with me." She tugged her away.

"What's up?"

"Sarah's waiting for us." Caitlin grinned. "We have discovered a secret-y secret." She whispered.

"Ooh!" Kate's face broke into an eager smile. "Righto, bring me to this hidden place."

They came to find a curly-haired Sarah waiting by a slightly open door. They were in the corridor passing a portrait of Gregory the Smarmy. Sarah's face was flushed and her eyes were bright. Caitlin and Sarah grabbed Kate by the arms and dragged her in.

"What is this?" Kate lifted an eyebrow. They seemed to be in a room with nothing but a pool. "Are we going swimming?"

"No! Silly, this is a looking pool! Look in!" Sarah pointed, just barely touching the surface. They looked down and saw Fred and George goofing around on their brooms and Oliver beet red in the face from shouting at them. Sarah sighed. "They're just dreamy."

"The twins?" Kate stifled a laugh. They certainly weren't bad-looking, but she had never considered them _dreamy._

"You're friends with their brother," Caitlin said, staring too. "Do you think you could put in a good word for us?"

Kate really did laugh at this. "I could try, but for all it would do… I wouldn't hold my breath. Does this pool only show them?" Kate was in awe of a pool that showed only the Weasley twins.

"No, it shows anything that's going on around the castle. Like this," Sarah cleared her throat, "Roger Davies."

They were looking down at the gorgeous Ravenclaw Quidditch player slaving over a scroll. He looked up suddenly and watched a pretty Asian girl walk by.

Caitlin scoffed with disgust.

"He's such a wanker, Sarah. I don't understand you."

"But he's pretty, you must admit." Sarah giggled.

"How'd you find this?" Kate asked.

"Oh, we were bored. We walked by this place about three times and there was a door suddenly. Don't know where it came from, but I see hours of amusement from this lovely little pond. Thought you'd like to share the fun." Caitlin winked. "Who do _you _want to see?"

Kate blurted, her mind far ahead of forethought, "Professor Quirrell."

"Ew, why? He's such a queer pasty little fellow." Sarah wrinkled her nose. The pool rippled and revealed a sweating man beneath an overly large turban. He seemed to be muttering in terror to himself. Then he flinched and began to cry.

Caitlin and Sarah exchanged glances. Kate seemed transfixed by the whole scene. _What _was he talking _to_? Kate felt in her heart that something was off. Something was definitely off about him.

"Oh, let's try someone else," Kate finally breathed. "Erm… Caitlin Eusden."

They were looking at themselves from their rear-ends. The three girls burst into helpless giggles.

"Is my bum really that large?" Sarah squirmed to look at it.

"Ooh, you know who's a cutie pie?" Caitlin nudged Kate. "Neville Longbottom!"

"Aw, isn't he the bloke who fell off his broom?" Sarah said sympathetically.

"Yeah, nice chap though. Surprising that he'd be in Gryffindor, but there you go."

They looked down suddenly and saw Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe all having a guffaw at Neville as he hopped away, face close to tears. Kate's mouth dropped.

"Those little jerks!" She spat. "Ooh!" Standing, she pumped her fists. "I have to go," before she darted out the door, she peeped back in, "but thanks! That was really awesome guys!"

"No problem. Now go save your friend from that pettifogger." Sarah rooted. Moments after Kate had fled, Caitlin and Sarah were back to "lad surfing."

Kate had forgotten where she had seen Neville and the three Slytherin boys and so gave up and wandered to the library. There was little chance of her getting much time to think in the Gryffindor common room. In the library, she sat at a desk completing a Charms essay with her mind elsewhere. Part of her was still furious at Malfoy for various reasons but the rest of her was lost in curiosity about Quirrell. If she thought about it, he was probably just some schizophrenic psychopathic type. He never seemed ill-meaning, but that feeling she had had during the troll incident was too strong to ignore. Then again, Harry had sensed a similar feeling when looking at Snape.

_They could be working together,_ Kate thought, blankly crossing her t's. _No, no._ Kate liked Snape, she couldn't figure out why, but she did. Quirrell was weak. She knew he was more likely to betray someone that Snape. He hid himself inside that gargantuan turban like a weasel soon to be sniffed out. Kate rolled up her parchment with fierce fingers. Then there was Druce who still was going on about Cygnus. That's all he would talk about no matter what her question was. It was all she could do to keep from screaming in confusion. Stuffing the remainder of her supplies into her bag, she left the library. The halls were sparse and silent. She knew the only reason that Madam Pince had not shooed her from the library earlier was that Kate had struck up a conversation with her about books at the beginning of the year.

Not understanding the knot at her chest, Kate had a sudden urge to fling herself down and cry. Perhaps it was confusion, maybe just the beginning of adolescence kicking in, but Kate practically ran up to the Gryffindor common room, barely stopping to say goodnight to anyone, and collapsed whole-heartedly onto her bed, weeping silently into her sheets.

_And if you can't run… This path shall swallow you! Weak fool! Have you no motivation? _

_RUN!_

"Ach!" Kate sat up, grabbing her throat. It felt as though she was suffocating. Coughing, she reached for her glasses and got up to pour herself a glass of water. Cool liquid rolled down her throat, soothing the cough. Kate stared out the window at the bright moon, lighting up the star-dusty sky. She didn't feel like running at all. Sighing, Kate put the glass down on the windowsill.

"I can't sleep either,"

Kate jumped, not expecting Hermione's voice. She turned and saw the bushy-haired girl, a droopy look on her face.

"What's up?" Kate asked concernedly.

"Oh, it's this business with Fluffy and the Stone."

"Stone?"

"That's right, you weren't there," Hermione yawned, "'Scuse me. We learned who Flamel is. Apparently he and Professor Dumbledore created the Sorcerer's Stone."

"Which is…?" Kate looked dumb-founded.

"You don't know either?"

"Apparently not," Kate shrugged.

"It's a magical stone that can transform any metal into gold," Hermione started, and yawned again. She slapped a hand to her face, trying to stop the inevitable.

"Oh! Does it make that drink that makes people immortal too? An alchemy thing?" Kate's eyes snapped open as she recalled some mythology involving such a thing.

Hermione beamed. "You _do _read!"

"You know that," Kate scolded. "Just 'cause I don't have a photographic memory like you do doesn't mean I don't read."

Hermione blushed. "Sorry,"

"It's okay," Kate shrugged. "So this is what Snape, Quirrell or various other suspicious people are going after, yes?"

Hermione nodded.

"I don't understand what for,"

"What?" Her eyebrows shot up. "Isn't it obvious? Anyone would want that! Just think! Eternal life and wealth!"

"Oh," Kate giggled, "when you put it that way…. But the eternal life bit is kind of stupid."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't you get _bored _living forever? I want to know what happens after death."

Hermione sat down in a chair next to her bed and looked out the window. "I'm scared of that."

"I understand,"

They talked quietly for another half hour before Hermione announced that she was going back to sleep. Once she heard Hermione's snores, Kate slipped out of her pajamas and to the common room. She groaned when she got outside into the chilly morning air. Breathing a couple of times into her hands, she got off to a reluctant start. Her legs felt heavy for the first few yards, but eventually she was able to sprint properly.

After she was all cleaned up, she plopped down across from Wood, who was moodily twiddling a quill. His eyebrows were furrowed in intense thought. Kate tilted her head inquiringly.

"Snape is going to ref," Wood blurted. "And I don't think we're going to do so well."

"Hey, Snape won't be allowed to ruin your game," Kate tried to be optimistic, "as long as you guys are playing your best, I'm sure you'll win."

Wood shrugged. "Hope you're right."

"I am," Kate said confidently. "I'm _always _right."

"Are you now?" He smiled wryly. "Cocky little kid, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am," she giggled.

The next morning during lunch, Kate wrote to her family again.

_Dear Mom, Dad and Meghan,_

_School's going well, though that shouldn't be anything new. My friends Caitlin and Sarah showed me this nifty pool and I can look at whatever I want from there, like a camel or a giraffe. But I didn't ask about those because I'm a silly goose, I guess. There's another Quidditch match coming up. One of the more foul-tempered professors is going to be a referee. Personally, I like him despite his short-comings but I can see where the team would be a little frightened. Professor Snape knows that if Gryffindor beats Hufflepuff that they'll be ahead of Slytherin. He's the Head of Slytherin House. So be thinking of the team. Positive thinking, I always say._

_My friend Oliver Wood is the captain of the Gryffindor team. He's becoming more like the older brother I never had. It's quite cool, actually. It's nicer than having a sister. Only joking, Meghan. Okay, I've got to leave now. _

_Hugs and love everywhere,_

_Kate_

Rolling up her parchment, she looked around for Harry. He, Ron and Hermione were naturally in the Great Hall eating lunch. She joined them and made herself a peanut butter sandwich.

"Did we tell you who Flamel is?" Ron asked eagerly, biting into his own sandwich eagerly.

"Hermione did,"

"I _knew _I'd read that name before," Harry said beaming.

"Where had you read it?" Kate asked.

Harry explained about the wizard card in the chocolate frog that he'd given to Neville.

"Excellent," she grinned, rubbing her hands over her plate to rid her fingers of the crumbs.


	14. Quidditch II and Norbert

**_H_**arry seemed in a constant state of fear that week. In Potions he looked positively ill. Kate, Dean and Seamus found this an interesting conversation topic. They all _knew_ why he was terrified, of course, but they enjoyed making up alternate reasons.

"Snape has been trying to poison him for weeks," Seamus said fervently.

"Harry just found out that Snape is his uncle," Dean laughed.

"Or his long-lost brother," Kate added.

"Yeah," Seamus and Dean chimed.

"That's scary, though," Dean shuddered.

"Maybe Snape volunteered to be Harry's personal tutor for… Quidditch." Seamus said.

Dean and Kate laughed, imagining Snape lazily shooting read sparks at Harry's head as he flew away in terror.

"He'd be saying 'fly faster, you dunderhead!'" Kate imitated his voice.

However, the day of the match, Kate was nothing short of supportive for Harry. She, Ron and Hermione bid him good luck before leaving for the stands.

"Do you honestly think it necessary to know the leg-locker curse?" Kate hissed at Hermione.

"Just in case," Ron said.

"Look, Dumbledore's here," Hermione sighed in relief. "But don't forget, it's _Locomotor Mortis._"

"I _know!_ Don't nag!"

Kate shook her head as she took a seat next to Neville.

"How are you holding up there, Neville?" Kate asked, punching him in the shoulder.

Neville squeaked but smiled guiltily. "I'm okay."

"Here they come," Hermione whispered, gripping her wand tightly in her pocket.

"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Ron muttered. "Look- they're off. Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there," Draco Malfoy drawled, grinning like a Cheshire cat at Goyle and Crabbe. "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

"George!" Kate hissed, her breath misting before her in a jet. He had hit a Bludger at Snape and the Potions Master took this opportunity to award Hufflepuff a penalty. Twisting her robes nervously in her lap, she didn't speak again, tensions building around her uncomfortably.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Malfoy clearly was bored of being ignored. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasley's, who've got no money- you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Kate's mouth dropped and she turned to say something to this, but surprisingly, Neville beat her to the punch.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.

"You tell him, Neville." Ron encouraged without looking.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley," Malfoy was laughing very hard, "and that's saying something."

Ron's face was becoming steadily redder. "I'm warning you, Malfoy- one more word-."

"Ron!" Hermione squealed. "Harry-!"

Kate watched the game again and saw Harry diving sharply towards the ground. Everyone applauded appreciatively. Hermione was suddenly standing, stuffing her fingers into her mouth nervously. Harry became a blur of red. Kate shoved her glasses even further onto her face.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" Malfoy said. Kate hoped that Ron would come out with a scathing retort, but was greeted instead by the sounds of scuffling boys. Neville leapt in to take on Crabbe and Goyle. Too distracted by the game, Kate didn't turn to look.

"Come on! Come ON!" Kate bounced from foot to foot.

Hermione had jumped onto her chair, seemingly oblivious to the squeals below her. She positively shrieked when Harry skimmed the ground with his toes, Snitch in hand. The stands erupted. Had the Snitch ever been caught so quickly? Hermione tackled Parvati in the row in front, smothering her in a hug. Kate jumped up and down whooping excitedly.

"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" Hermione cried.

There was a triumphant laugh from the seat below and a reciprocating screech. Kate turned to see Ron jumping up and grabbing Neville up from the ground. Crabbe and Goyle were looking stupefied. Neville was out cold, face bruised and bleeding. Ron had a fat lip but Malfoy had a black eye that was quickly turning darker.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" He hissed, taking a teary look at Neville. Goyle, Malfoy and Crabbe ran out of the stands.

"Oh dear," Hermione looked at Neville. Then she glared at Ron. "You were fighting! How could you!"

Ron completely ignored her. "It was brilliant! BRILLIANT! Did you _see _Malfoy's face?"

Kate laughed nervously, watching Ron bounce around, Neville's head flopping lifelessly.

"Um… shouldn't we take him to the hospital wing?" Kate stuttered.

"Eh? Oh," Ron took a look at Neville. "Yeah, I guess we should." Then he broke out in a grin again. "He took them on single-handedly! No wonder the old boy's in Gryffindor. What an _amazing _fight! Ach! Got to hand it to him…!" With Kate's help, Ron took Neville up to the castle. Hermione was too preoccupied with remembering the game to scold Ron again. Once in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey emerged, headdress flowing behind her.

"What happened here?" She stared fiercely at Ron, and then at the limp form of Neville.

Ron was too jubilant to care. Madam Pomfrey healed his lip and looked at Neville again.

"He'll be all right, the foolish boy," she clicked her tongue. "But he'll be out for awhile still. Now shoo!" Madam Pomfrey ushered them out to tend to her patient.

Once back in the common room, they were greeted with cheers, which quickly died down.

"Where's Harry?" Fred asked, looking skeptically at his little brother. "Where's our little hero?"

Ron shrugged, still grinning madly.

"Well, we've got some chow," George indicated a smorgasbord spread out on the common room tables. "Be sure to stuff your eager little faces."

Ron eagerly dug in, shoving chocolate into his mouth and recounting his tale for anyone who cared to listen. Hermione watched the portrait hole anxiously, wondering where Harry was, occasionally clicking her tongue at Ron. She was worried that Snape had, in a fit of rage, gotten a hold of him. Kate was busy poking Ron in the head whenever he started his story again.

"Hey!" He turned to her. "You've poked me twenty-three times, now!"

"Yes, that's about right," she grinned.

"That's how many times you've dithered on about your scuffle," Hermione said distractedly.

Ron's face fell. "But it's a good story!"

"Where is Harry?" Hermione muttered.

"Dunno," Kate stood. "Let's go look."

They left the common room and wandered out into the halls. Sir Nicholas nodded to them in approval before drifting through a wall into a classroom. Ron, Kate and Hermione walked along in silence. A few Hufflepuff fourth years passed them. Then they saw Harry, practically flying through the hall way.

"Harry! Where have you been!" Hermione squeaked.

"We won!" Ron's eyes lit up again. "You won! We won!" Ron shouted at him, running over to slap him on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right- talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."

"Hey, Harry," Kate frowned. "You don't look so good. What's wrong?"

"Let's find an empty room, you wait till you hear this," Harry breathed. Grabbing Kate's sleeve, he dragged her to a classroom, ducking his head around to check for any unwanted visitors. Hermione and Ron chased close behind. Once everyone was inside, Harry shut the door.

"What's going on?" Kate asked.

"After the game," Harry started in a low-pitched voice, "I saw Snape going into the forest, so I followed him on my broomstick. When he stopped, I realized that he was talking to Quirrell! Quirrell was shaking and everything. So we're right. It is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy- and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus'- I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through-."

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione said in alarm.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday." Ron said, looking ill. "See Kate? How could Quirrell be guilty? We've got proof."

Kate chewed her lip. "Well… could you have misheard?"

"No! Kate!" Harry cried in exasperation.

"All right! All right!" Kate put her hands up in self-defense. "Quirrell could just be a sleaze-ball but Snape pure evil. Sorry."

"I can't believe you still don't believe me!" Harry shook his head.

"Sorry," Kate said again.

"I thought you were smart," Ron said, as they walked back. "But you're just a nutter."

**_I_**t was clear that her friends were being extra-nice to Quirrell. Quirrell looked as though his own diet was little. There was a paler look about his face than was normal for him. Whenever Hermione, Ron or Harry pressed their ears to hear if Fluffy was still growling, Kate would roll her eyes and continue ahead of them. Always were they on her case about believing in Snape's innocence.

In the evenings, Hermione spent time drawing up study schedules and color-coding all of her notes. She began to nag Ron and Harry to do the same. Often when these arguments began, Kate would wander away in search of other companions. However, Kate couldn't fail to notice that friends were becoming more or less consolidated groups and soon she would either be a floater or a loner if she didn't choose one. She couldn't avoid Hermione, Harry and Ron forever. They were her best friends of all and she knew it.

Once she remembered her mother saying to her, _"Friends aren't just the people you have fun with, they're the people you fight with and cry with but make up with later. Dealing with the tough times isn't so much how many you have of them but how you come out of them."_ Maybe she needed to stop circumventing their inevitable problems.

One evening Kate resigned herself to studying in the library with Hermione, Ron and Harry. The teachers had been piling them with homework beyond anything they had before experienced. Over Easter break there didn't seem to _be _a break. The fifth graders were busily studying for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels. The fourth years were a wreck. The perpetually timid first years looked terrified every waking moment. Hermione studied with a fervor that didn't seem possible in any human being, save for Ron's older brother, Percy.

In the library, Ron was cursing exasperatedly at his notes while Hermione was re-reading a page for the fourteenth time, committing the words to memory. Harry flipped through his potions text, searching quickly for some herb or another. Kate was absentmindedly illustrating one of the pages of _The Standard Book of Spells_ while reading it again.

"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?" Ron asked, breaking his friends' concentrations.

Hagrid side-stepped slowly into view, looking guilty and hiding something indiscreetly behind his back.

"Jus' lookin'," he said in a shifty voice. His first year friends were immediately curious. "An' what're you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?" He squinted at them.

"For once, we're actually studying," Kate smiled.

"We found out who he is ages ago, anyway," Ron puffed his chest out. "_And _we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St-."

"_Shhhh_" Hagrid's eyes darted around to look out for eavesdroppers. "Don' go shoutin' about it! What's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," Harry said without thinking too much, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy-."

"SHHHH!" Hagrid hissed. "Listen- come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh-."

"See you later, then," Harry said eagerly.

Hagrid left quickly.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" Hermione frowned.

"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?" Harry wondered.

"I'm going to see what section he was in." Ron was obviously bored with what he was doing. Kate looked after him curiously. Hardly ten seconds later, Ron had returned with a pile of books and a bewildered look on his freckly face. The three of them jumped as Ron dropped the pile on their table with a SLAM. "_Dragons!_" He hissed. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: _Dragon Species of __Great Britain__ and __Ireland__; From Egg to Inferno: A Dragon Keeper's Guide._"

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon," Harry commented.

"But it's against our laws!" Ron whispered. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden- anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

"Wow, dragons in Britain?" Kate breathed.

"Of course! Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."

"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" Hermione asked.

Kate swallowed. "I think it's pretty clear."

**_T_**hey sat in the sweltering hot cabin as Hagrid listed teachers who had placed spells as protection for the Sorcerer's Stone. Hermione, Ron and Harry exchanged dark looks as Hagrid ended with Snape.

"Yer not still on about Snape, are yeh?" And Hagrid turned to Kate. "Or Quirrell? I mean, they helped to _protect _the Stone- their not about ter steal it."

Kate blushed.

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" Harry looked anxious. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," Hagrid beamed.

"Well, that's something," Kate heard Harry mutter quietly. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

Kate nodded in agreement, rolling her sleeves up for the umpteenth time.

"Can't, Harry, sorry," Hagrid glanced towards the fire.

Something big, black and egg-like sat in the center, flames dancing around it.

_Hagrid, you live in a wooden house!_ Kate thought desperately. Hermione apparently shared the same thought. After they left the hut, none of them spoke. All any of them could think was that it was just one more deliciously juicy secret to keep hidden and worry about.

_Oh yay._

**_T_**he four friends spent most of their time doing homework. Hermione had kindly devised study schedules for each of them. Kate thought it was hilarious but Harry and Ron were irritated.

"'Cause we obviously don't have enough to be getting on with," Ron muttered behind Hermione's back. "Honestly, does she do anything but homework?"

"Sometimes she sleeps," Kate responded, flipping through _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ looking for anise. "And sometimes she bathes."

"Urgh, only _sometimes_?" Ron scrunched his nose.

"Well, if you define sometimes as once or twice a year, then yes."

Ron's mouth dropped open and Kate burst into laughter, and then to her embarrassment and pain, a gigantic snort erupted from her. The entire common room turned to look at her and everyone collapsed into helpless giggles, which only added to Kate's predicament. Her stomach began to hurt badly and she had to struggle to control her breathing.

Wiping tears from her eyes, she spoke. "I love laughing like that."

"You're as red as my hair," Ron's eyes were bright with laughter.

Kate nodded, grinning unrestrainedly.

"That doesn't sound like studying," Hermione scolded, trumping over to them with more parchment, Harry close behind with a few extra scrolls.

"That's because it's not, my filthy friend,"

"What?"

Ron and Kate made eye-contact and started laughing all over again.

**_P_**erhaps it was stress that had kept them laughing most of that night away, but one cheerless morning, the four of them sat down to breakfast and soon after Harry got an owl from Hagrid. Only two words were scrawled on the scrap of paper.

_It's hatching. _

"Bloody hell, let's skip Herbology," Ron's face was flushed with eagerness.

"Are you _mad_? We are only a few weeks away from _exams_!" Hermione hissed. She looked on the edge of suffering a conniption.

"Hermione," Ron said reasonably through a mouthful of egg, "how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's _nothing _to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing-."

"Shut up!" Harry whispered.

Kate saw what Harry was looking at. Malfoy, only a few feet away, had frozen to his spot, listening intently. Blood fell out of her face like water through a sieve and her heart took refuge in the pit of her stomach. The look on the silver-haired boy's face was not a good omen. Hermione and Ron watched Malfoy stalk off, a look of curiosity on his pale face. Kate and Harry exchanged dark looks.

"He… didn't hear too much, did he?" Kate whispered.

"Dunno,"

"We're still going, aren't we?" Ron asked.

"Of course we're not!"

"You're more boring than I thought-."

"Am not! Just because I don't want-."

"-and your homework obsession-."

"-passing first year may seem-!"

"-frankly disgusting."

Kate rolled her eyes. Ron and Hermione continued to bicker all the way down to Herbology, but Hermione finally agreed to run down to Hagrid's after class. Herbology went more slowly than normal as Harry kept checking his watch. Kate was so preoccupied that she tripped over the hem of her cloak and fell into an oblivious Harry. Hermione's face was completely white and her lips were pursed in an uncanny imitation of a furious McGonagall. Ron kept muttering to himself until finally the bell rang from the castle. Without a word between them, the four of them dropped their shovels and practically ran to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid greeted them with a rosy look about his face.

"It's nearly out,"

**_R_**unning that night, Kate passed by Hagrid's hut and stopped to stare for a minute. It reeked strongly of alcohol, apparently food for big baby Norbert, the name of the slimy reptile of a dragon. Okay, it _was_ rather cute, in a scary way, but it was kind of vicious too. Furthermore, the thought of Draco Malfoy turning Hagrid over was not a pleasant one. Kate crouched down behind a large bush breathing heavily. She stared at the dirt. Why couldn't Hagrid have closed the curtain just a little more? She slammed her fist into the ground and said a quiet "ow."

_Sssss_

Kate looked up over the bush in surprise. A hooded figure glided over the grounds and slid noiselessly into the forest. Other than that strange and random hissing sound, the creature made no sound at all. Having watched dozens of horror films, Kate knew better than to follow the cloaked being, but being a Gryffindor, she couldn't resist. Silently as she could manage, she slipped after it into the woods.

The forest was a dark and creepy place, full of life that seemed threatening. Her heart had already been quick with running, but now it followed a faster drum, pounding hard. The forest was forbidden, yet she entered anyway. Birds in the branches made mournful and sharp calls in the night. She would later swear that she heard the howl of a wolf, though according to the crescent moon, it wasn't a werewolf. Up ahead on the path she saw the figure stop for a moment and then she heard its voice:

"Where is the beast?" Its voice sounded thin and whisper-like.

"I am seeking it out, Master,"

"You had best find it soon. Do not test my patience."

Kate was trying to place the second voice.

"Where did we leave the unicorn, Master? I thought it was here-."

"Follow the blood, you fool!"

_Blood?_ Kate wondered. She stepped a bit closer. There, on the ground ahead was a silvery stain on the dark forest floor. _Unicorn blood!_ She clapped a hand to her mouth as her stomach jolted and her heart danced wildly. Why would this… _thing_… want to harm a unicorn?

A twig snapped beneath her feet. She dove into a bush, numb to the scratching of the branches, just as the hooded figure whipped around to look.

"Who's there?" The man's voice called.

Kate didn't respond, eyes wide and body trembling.

"Who's there?" He repeated.

"_There is no one there! Do not waste my time!_" The whispery voice spat furiously.

The figure jumped and scuttled away, whimpering apologies to the other voice.

It was on the way back to the castle, sprinting quickly as though the earth were ablaze, that Kate realized whose voice that had been.

She was right about Professor Quirrell. But, by the sinking feeling in her heart, she knew no one would believe her.

**_T_**he plan to dispose of Norbert came as a relief and a new burden. Nobody seemed to notice that Kate was looking paler than usual, especially in Defense class, but this was probably because they were all so worried about Norbert anyway. The four of them had taken to helping Hagrid care for Norbert, though as Ron aptly put it, they were more or less feeding _themselves_ to the monster. One day Ron and Kate had gone down to help with the Norwegian ridgeback.

"Give 'im this, Kate, won' yeh?" Hagrid thrust a dead rat into Kate's flinching left hand.

Her lip curled in disgust. Ron watched in horror as Hagrid filled a chewed up baby bottle with chicken blood and brandy. It was a hideous amber-scarlet blend that quickly turned murky and foreboding, reminding Kate strongly of what diarrhea looked like. Kate approached Norbert, who had more than doubled in size the last two weeks, and offered the food cautiously to him. Smoke curled around baby Norbert's nostrils evilly.

"Here little Norbie, want some food?" Kate asked carefully. Holding the rat by the tail, Kate slowly lowered the rat to the dragon's mouth. Norbert showed no sign of a desire to eat it. Instead, his ruby eyes followed the movement of her hand suspiciously. "Come on," she coaxed. "I _know_ you're hung- OW!" Kate withdrew her arm quickly. She stared in horror at the dragon, who had shot up, grabbed the rat _and _her hand in its enormous mouth. Yanking her bloody fist away, Kate chucked the rat at Norbert who squealed in surprise. Hagrid whirled around. "Hagrid! It _bit_ me!"

"Norbert!" Hagrid rushed over.

Ron dashed over as well, but looked at Kate's hand in concern. It was bleeding quite heavily. Blood spattered onto the floor and covered her other palm as she held her left hand in pain. Hagrid, however, showed little sign of worry on Kate's behalf.

"Norbert! Are yeh okay? Did she hurt yeh?" Hagrid asked, stroking the dragon's head as it ripped a limb off of the rat.

"I'll be fine, thanks for asking," Kate snapped at Hagrid, who paid her no mind at all. Norbert dropped a piece of rat on the floor, which splattered blood.

"Here's a handkerchief," Ron offered, pulling one off of Hagrid's counter. "He won't miss it," Ron muttered irritably in Hagrid's direction. He tied it tightly around her hand. It wasn't long before the blood began to soak through.

"Come on, let's go," Kate mumbled. Ron turned to leave, slipped in rat blood and fell to the floor with a thud. Kate jumped and cried out "Ron!" Norbert squealed again, and as Ron tried to get up, thoughtlessly pulling himself on the table, Norbert bit him as well.

"You blood-thirsty little-."

"You scared 'im!" Hagrid scolded Ron.

"Oh dear, did I?" Ron growled. But Hagrid wasn't paying him any mind. He was singing Norbert a lullaby. The two of them left, nursing their wounds. "I will _never _help that… that _bastard_ with his stupid dragon again." Ron spat.

"It stings," Kate mentioned. "I wonder if we should see Pomfrey-."

"What would we say? 'Oh, we were walking back from Hagrid's house when a dragon flew down, bit our hands and flew off again,'?"

"I guess you're right. I can't believe we were _both_ bitten. You'd think at least one of us might have survived the encounter," Kate's hand was now throbbing painfully. "Good thing it bit my left hand."

"Lucky," Ron muttered, "I won't be able to hold a quill for a week." His forehead was wet with perspiration. It had been so hot in Hagrid's hut. Both of them had rolled the sleeves of their robes up to keep cool, but now that they had bloody scarves on their hands, they rolled them down to keep anyone from seeing.

Ron kept hissing curses at Hagrid's name all the way up to Gryffindor tower.

That same evening, they received a letter from Charlie.

"Saturday isn't so far off," Kate said optimistically.

"Midnight? We aren't allowed out of our dormitories at night!" Hermione whispered.

"We've got the invisibility cloak," Harry said, the fire behind his head making him look intense. "It shouldn't be too difficult- I think the cloak's big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."

"Sounds good," the other three chimed.


	15. Drag on

(A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I fear my fan fiction has taken a back seat to much of my life. I've actually finished the first book of Savior. Now, I don't want this to be taken the wrong way, but I'm considering not posting past the first book simply because it's so long and kind of personal. I really appreciate how nice everyone has been about this. I was back on the prednisone this past month; the effects haven't been so bad this time, but I still went back to thinking about this story a lot. Well, anyway. I've babbled enough. Hope you still like me when you've finished this chapter!)

**_S_**tep. _Ow._ Step. _Ouch!_ Step. _Ooh… bloody hell that hurts!_

The bounciness of her run jolted her hand with every step. She had never slept so poorly as she had that night. Every time she rolled over, her hand would twinge impressively. For once she had a dream involving something other than the usual. When she woke up it wasn't due to the urge to run but to the fact that her hand had swollen roughly to the size and shape of a Little League softball.

Reaching the lake with no sign of improvement, Kate finally gave up and returned to the castle. She did her sit-ups but didn't bother doing push-ups as she was hardly good enough to try the one-handed type. The hot water of the shower stung the wound quite a lot. The bleeding wasn't quite so profuse anymore, but it was still seeping a gooey red with more or less the consistency of water. Dressing herself was difficult and when she finally immerged into the common room, she was worn out.

"You're late." Wood said, tapping his watch. "Fall asleep in the shower, did you?"

"Har har,"

His eyes flashed down to the blood-stained handkerchief around her left hand. "What happened to your hand?"

"Stray dog bit me,"

"Was it rabid?" Wood asked concernedly.

"Don't think so. Apparently I smelled like yummy meat so it took a bite but left me alone after it realized I was yucky," Kate winced as she tried wiggling her fingers.

"Have you gone to Pomfrey?" Wood persevered.

"Nah," Kate shrugged. "It's nothing serious."

But she wasn't so sure.

Charms was a trying class that day for Ron. The "swish and flick" that Flitwick had so impressed upon their brains was not going so well for him.

"Bloody hell," Ron hissed, "I give up." He stared at his hand hopelessly. "I can't even hold onto my wand, let alone wave it about like a loon."

Kate shook her head. "I can't move my wrist at all."

"Lucky yours is your left hand." Ron fumed.

Harry looked at him with concern. "Maybe you _should_ see Pomfrey," he muttered, making sure no one else was listening in.

"How does it look?" Hermione whispered.

"I dunno. It kind of smells funny though." He scrunched his nose.

Hermione bit her lip. "Let's have a look, you too Kate."

Hesitantly, the two unwrapped their arms.

"Ooh, that _is _disgusting," Kate stuck her tongue out. It had turned a nasty shade of green like a bruise in the prime of its life, only slightly more mossy in tinge. "Do you think she'll recognize it?"

"Who?" Harry asked absently.

"Pomfrey." Ron and she chimed.

"Ah, hell, who cares, we've got to get this looked at." Ron said, looking paler than usual.

When the class ended, Ron and Kate started up to the Hospital Wing.

"What if it falls off before we get there?" Kate whispered nervously as they passed a portrait of Gertrude the Galvanized, a large blond woman with a Viking helmet who was spitting curses at a small dog.

Ron blanched even more, his brown eyes wide with terror. "D'you think that could happen?"

"Do you want to risk it?"

Without a second thought, they ran for it.

Madam Pomfrey stared at the two sweaty-faced first years with a look of disapproval.

"What are you two doing here in such a mess?"

"Erm…." Ron looked to Kate.

"We were bitten yesterday after Herbology," she said quickly, breathing heavily. "It was a dog… two dogs… they seemed friendly enough. They came out of the forest. We thought they wanted to play but apparently they were hungry." To add effect, "we were wondering if maybe…they were…" she swallowed, "werewolves…."

Pomfrey clicked her tongue. "Full moon was over a week ago." She grabbed both of their arms (which caused them to cry out in agony) and looked suspiciously at the bites. "Dog bites, eh?" She pursed her lips. "These aren't good. Get some gowns on, you two."

Ron and Kate looked at one another in fear. A few minutes later they had changed into pajamas and were lying in beds separated by curtains being administered to by Pomfrey.

_What if she figures it out? _Kate wondered as Madam Pomfrey layered some white goop on her wound that stung and fizzed. _What will happen if she _doesn't The salve didn't feel good, Kate winced as she watched it bubble, but Madam Pomfrey said that it would burn any unwanted germs out. Kate lie back on her pillow and stared at the ceiling, wishing Hagrid had been blessed with prudence instead of love for magical beasts.

There was a loud knock on the door.

Skirts rustled as Madam Pomfrey bustled over to the door.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to see…er… _Ron_," a familiar drawl floated through the room. "For homework. Needed to get an assignment."

_Malfoy._ Her face drained. What could he want?

"All right then, Mister Malfoy, fifteen minutes." Kate listened to Pomfrey's retreating footsteps and listened intently to Malfoy and Ron.

"You might be able to lie to her but _I _know what really bit you," he said smugly.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Ron spat.

Kate got cautiously out of bed, bare feet chilled against the cold flagstone floor, and walked through her curtain and then through Ron's. Her first view was of Draco Malfoy's haughty face, grinning down at an ashen Ron Weasley.

Malfoy looked up at Kate and his face brightened even more. "Oho, oho! So you're not the only casualty to Hagrid's… er… little pet."

"What are you talking about?" Kate snapped. She knew Ron was a horrific liar. She, however, had had practice.

"I saw the dra-."

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron hissed.

"The dra?" Kate laughed. She wished she would shut up, but her mouth seemed to have taken on a worthless volubility of its own. "What the heck is a dra?"

Malfoy looked skeptically at her, his cold blue eyes piercing her face. "Dragon, Slate, I know you're not the fastest broom on the pitch but I didn't know you were a dullard."

Kate flushed slightly but kept on, resisting the urge to inform him of his own lack of intelligence. "What do dragons have to do with any of this? We were bitten by dogs, not some fantastical reptile flying around Scotland."

Malfoy smiled, his face looking even more saturated with evil. "I saw it, Slate. No amount of lying will undo that."

"Whatever," Kate said.

"How long do you think your mammoth mate can keep his little secret, hm?" Malfoy leered at her.

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Miss Slate!" Madam Pomfrey called across the room, charging forward. "What _do _you _think _you are doing? Get back in bed!" She grabbed Kate by her right arm and pulled her towards her bed. "And I expect it is time for you to leave, Mister Malfoy."

"Right, I'll just borrow this, then?" Malfoy blindly took the book at the top of Ron's stack and left. When Madam Pomfrey had calmed down, she checked their wounds and clicked her tongue before leaving again.

Kate began to feel nauseous and woozy. Sweat broke out across her face. She lay back on her pillow. Her hand was pulsing painfully. She wondered how much longer it would stay attached to her arm.

"Ugh," Ron groaned. "I wish Norb- the dog had just taken my bloody head off."

"Nice." Kate responded, almost agreeing with him. "Ooh, this is not where I had wanted to spend my evening."

"Truer words were never spoken."

In the later evening, Hermione and Harry stopped by to visit.

"Malfoy was playing 'turd extraordinaire' when he came up," Kate explained to Hermione and Harry.

"Yeah, he kept threatening to tell Madam Pomfrey what really happened. I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this." Ron looked even sicker than he had already.

"Sh, don't worry about it. It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," Hermione pat Ron's sheets in an attempt to comfort him.

Ron sat up quickly, knocking Hermione's hand away unintentionally.

"Midnight on Saturday!" His voice came out as more of a croak. "Oh no- oh no- I've just remembered- Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert!"

"What!" Kate's hands flew to her face and she cursed in pain as her wounded left twinged.

Ron stared at her in amazement.

"What's going on in here?" Madam Pomfrey came in. "These patients need their sleep. You two, out, out!"

Harry and Hermione exchanged unhappy looks and said goodnight. Madam Pomfrey went to her office to get them sleeping draughts.

Ron was still staring at Kate.

"What?" Kate asked, holding her hand at chest height.

"I've never heard you swear before."

"You haven't?"

"You dropped the f-bomb. You always say things like 'poo' and 'crap.' I'd always expected your first swearword would be 'shit,' but apparently you go all out."

"Shit was my first swearword," Kate said coolly. "Just because I don't swear like a drunken Irishman doesn't mean I never swear."

"What are you implying?"

"Here you are, my dears," Madam Pomfrey supplied them both with sticky sweet sleeping draughts and it was only a matter of seconds before they sunk into a black world of sleep.

**_T_**he next day Parvati and Lavender came up to visit Kate, bringing homework and notes as well. Kate was hardly in a mood to talk about boys and make-up, but she put on her game face and listened. Perhaps her face was paler than usual or her eyes were drooping excessively, but Lavender finally pat Kate's arm and said to Parvati, "We had better go. Kate needs some rest."

"Thanks for visiting," Kate said softly to their retreating backs. Parvati turned around and smiled before leaving.

"You get all the visitors," Ron said glumly from his bed as they worked on homework. Wood had come up with his friend Brandon Trice, another Gryffindor fifth year. Wood had wanted to make sure she was okay and told her (quite firmly) that she had better be careful from now on. Then he and Brandon went off to study for their O.W.L.s.

"That's because people love my enormous specs," Kate said cheerily. "Why do you think Harry is so famous?"

"It can't be because he killed You-Know-Who," Ron said sarcastically, biting back a grin.

"Oh come now, people wouldn't care if he had done that if he didn't have glasses. Look at Dumbledore: glasses, and everyone knows who he is."

"What about Gilderoy Lockhart, that smiley author bloke?"

"I don't know who he is, Ron. Obviously he's not famous enough because he doesn't wear glasses."

"You're out of your tree," Ron shook his head, laughing quietly.

**_"O_**ne hundred and fifty points?" Ron whispered in amazement. He and Kate had left the hospital wing Sunday morning to discover that Hermione, Neville and Harry had made a teeny error… one that had cost Gryffindor house the total of one hundred and fifty points. Harry and Hermione were red with humiliation. They were hiding in the library because everyone in Gryffindor house now hated Harry and Hermione.

"I will never forgive myself," Harry mumbled.

"Oh… they'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them," Ron said encouragingly.

"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" Harry said miserably.

"Well- no," Ron admitted.

Hermione looked close to tears over the next week. She no longer volunteered in class, instead keeping her head down in humiliation. Harry was insulted in conspicuous voices by Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors alike while the wily Slytherins made to thank him for giving them a hand. Wood was far from happy with his Seeker and made no secret of it to Kate or during Quidditch practices. In fact, he told her to tell her "friend to keep out of trouble" to which she immediately ignored him for the rest of the evening. Harry was more glum than he had ever seemed at the Dursley's.

As a joke to make him feel better, Kate sang him a song from _Jesus Christ Super Star_ the musical during a cramming session.

"Try not to get worried, try not to hang onto, problems that upset you sooooooo…. Don't you know everything's alright, yes everything's fiiiiiiiine…. And I want you to sleep well tonight…. And the rest of the lyrics escape me…. Close your eyes, close your eyes… blah blah blaaaah," Kate trailed off as Harry, Ron and Harry stared at her in amazement. Kate turned pink and looked back to her notes. "Sorry, it had to happen."

"Where did that come from?" Ron asked incredulously.

"You all look so stressed out, I thought an act of sheer stupidity would make you feel better," Kate giggled.

"What would make me feel better… definitely getting out of school," Harry sighed.

"And going where?"

"Good point," Harry grimaced as he thought of the Dursley's. "Maybe just dying."

"That's pleasant," Hermione scolded.

"Library is closing in five minutes!" Madam Pince's strident voice jerked them from their conversation.

"I forgot to tell you," Harry said darkly to them as they left, large stacks of books filling their arms, "I overheard Quirrell this afternoon. He was begging someone not to do something again. Then he gave up and agreed to… do whatever."

"Was Snape with him?" Hermione gave Kate a sideways look.

"I'd gamble twelve Sorcerer's Stones he was," Harry said fervently.

"Snape's done it, then! If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell-."

"There's still Fluffy, though," Hermione pointed out.

"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," Ron said. "Maybe there's a book back there in the library about it. About getting past a giant three-headed dog." Ron looked to Harry eagerly. "What should we do, Harry?"

"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure!" Hermione was squeezing her books against her chest nervously.

"But we've got no _proof_," Harry pointed out. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up-."

Kate was very hot in the face. "Quirrell is the guilty one!" Kate hissed. "I saw him the other night in the forest, alone. He was chasing a unicorn… and there was this voice telling him to… I don't know, but it was definitely Quirrell!"

"Kate! Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Hermione said the same exact time that Ron exclaimed that Kate was off her rocker.

"Because you guys won't believe me because you want to believe that Snape is evil," Kate accused.

"Why do you want to believe that Quirrell's evil?" Harry asked, gritting his teeth, glowering at Kate.

Kate glared back at him, obviously at the end of her control.

"I _don't_ want to! But he's always given me a really… weird feeling, ever since the troll incident," she admitted. "I think he let that troll in. I don't know why but I just do."

"Well…" Ron started hopefully, looking to Harry for help, "if we do some poking around, we could-."

"No," Harry said flatly, giving Kate a final scathing look and then looking determinedly ahead to the portrait of the Fat Lady, "we've done enough poking around."

**_T_**he next night, Hermione, Neville, and Harry were to serve their detentions at eleven o'clock. Ron and she watched them go with worried faces. Guilt nibbled away at their guts as they sat in the common room "studying" some.

"I feel like we should be out there with them," Kate gnawed her lip.

"I feel like my hand was punished enough already," Ron said with confidence.

"I guess you're right," Kate agreed, plucking at the hairs on her quill. "I feel worst for Neville, though. He didn't deserve to get screwed over for trying to warn us."

"Neville is a git," Ron disagreed vehemently, "if he hadn't been running his mouth off about the dr… creature, maybe there'd have been fewer points taken away."

"Oh don't be ridiculous. Well… maybe you're right, but his heart was in the right place."

"Right," Ron said, flipping through his astronomy charts absent-mindedly. "I still don't get how you can suspect Quirrell."

"Let's not start this again," Kate held her head in her left hand as she underlined a sentence in her transfiguration notes. "If I'm wrong, you can make fun of me later, but if I'm right, then you will be embarrassed."

"If you're right, then I will worship you as the 'girl who was somehow right against all odds.'"

"I'm keeping that in mind, you worthless twit,"

As they continued their studies, the room got more and more comfortable, their heads sunk lower and lower until they were on top of the books and their eyes shut completely. Kate had the most bizarre dream. The Mirror of Erised was in an empty room built entirely of stone. Kate was naked again, and the older, strangely attractive self, (this was beginning to bother her, all this nudity) but as she stood in front of the mirror, she saw that she was touching her heart and suddenly she became a dog, maybe a wolf, or half-wolf half-dog. Her fur was silvery but her face was more dog-like than wolf-like. But in the mirror, her reflection showed her… defending a handsome stag from a snake. After she was jerked into being awake, she wondered why on earth a stag would need to be protected from a snake. By a wolf-dog.

Harry's face was ashen as he relayed the tale of his detention. Hermione sat silently on the sofa between Kate and Ron. She looked pale and frightened as Harry went into a frenzied rant.

"So… so there was this hooded figure drinking unicorn blood. It tried to kill me," Harry explained quickly, giving no room for details. "When Firenze, a centaur, came and saved me. Firenze told me that the figure was Voldemort…."

"Don't say the name!" Ron said automatically, but Harry kept going.

"But it was weird. Bane thought it was bad that Firenze had saved me. So Snape wants the stone for Voldemort… and Voldemort's waiting in the forest… and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich…."

"Stop saying the name!" Ron was whispering, looking around, eyes wide in terror.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so…. Bane was furious… he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen…. They must show that Voldemort's coming back…. Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me…. I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"_Will you stop saying the name!_" Ron hissed.

"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry paced back and forth, sweat making him look pastier, his eyes set alight by the fire. "Then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off…. Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."

Kate smiled a bit wryly at his sick sense of humor.

"There goes the optimist in Mr. Potter,"

"Harry," a frightened Hermione piped up. Her hands were trembling in her lap. "Everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

Kate thought that Druce wouldn't like that statement very much.


	16. Braving

**_E_**xams were intense. They were not pleasing. But they were finally over.

Hermione, sick masochist that she was, tried to get them to go over tests together, but Ron, Harry and she put a firm foot down on this saying that there was no "bloody way."

Ron was bouncing the whole way down to the lake, practically singing "no more studying! Woo!"

"Oh Ron," Kate said sympathetically as he tossed himself onto the ground and sighed. "I'm so sorry. I can see you're disappointed about the end of exams."

Hermione giggled a bit at Ron's goofy grin. Harry, however, kept rubbing his forehead.

"Actually, it seems that Harry could be more cheerful," Ron looked up lazily from his spot on the ground, "Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

"I wish I knew what this _means_!" He burst out. "My scar keeps hurting- it's happened before, but never as often as this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"I'm not ill," said Harry.

"She could kiss it and make it all better," Kate laughed. Then she stopped, seeing that he was quite serious.

"I think it's a warning," Harry said darkly. "It means danger is coming."

"Harry, relax. Your grades can't be that bad." Ron stretched out some more, his face turning pink under the bright sun. "But seriously, the Stone is safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Hermione's right. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

"Poor Neville," Kate sighed, taking a seat next to Hermione. "He's got a long wait."

Harry nodded. Then, to everyone's surprise, he jumped to his feet. Ron's eyes, which had been slowly shutting, snapped open.

"Where are you going?"

"I've just thought of something," Harry was steadily becoming the color of milk, "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."

Hermione was up and on her feet and soon after him, panting as she tried to keep up.

"Why?"

Kate got up and yanked Ron to his feet. "Uppy-buppy,"

They scrambled to catch up with Harry.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"

"What in the name of arse are you talking about?" Ron called after him. Harry soon disappeared over the hill. "Aw crap,"

Kate sprinted up the hill and left Ron and Hermione in the dust. They had soon caught up to Harry, who was talking to Hagrid, who was sitting in an armchair outside of his house, sleeves and pants rolled up while he was shelling peas.

"Hullo," he smiled at them, eyes crinkled. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes, please," Ron was a bit sweaty around the temples.

"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno," Hagrid shrugged, tossing a couple of peas into the bowl and picking up another pod. "He wouldn't take his cloak off."

"Hagrid, haven't you ever see a horror movie? Bad guys wear cloaks," Kate said solemnly.

"A what?" Hagrid asked curiously. Then he saw Harry's stunned face. "Oh, it's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head- that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

Harry fell to his knees, a tired look crossing his ashen face. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up," Hagrid frowned, momentarily stopping his work, "Yeah… he asked what I did, an' I told him I was game keeper here…. He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after… so I told him…" Kate felt herself become slightly nauseous as she realized what this meant. "an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon… an' then… I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks…. Let's see… yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted… but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home…. So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…."

Hermione, Ron and Kate looked at Hagrid, then each other, then back to Harry.

"And did he- did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry's voice twanged slightly.

They looked back to Hagrid.

"Well- yeah- how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep-."

All Kate could say was "Orpheus," but Hagrid suddenly looked as though he had swallowed a tarantula.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that! Forget I said it!" But the four of them were running for the castle before he could say another word.

**_H_**arry stretched out the cloak in the empty common room. Dumbledore, gone. McGonagall, disbelieving. Snape… well, spiteful as always, but Kate still didn't think he was guilty.

"Will it cover the four of us?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Give it a go, we haven't got all bloody night," Ron babbled nervously.

"What are you doing?" Neville popped out of the darkness of a corner of the room, clutching Trevor the toad to his chest.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," Harry quickly stuffed the cloak into Kate's hand because she was behind him.

"You're going out again," Neville said softly.

"No, no, no," Hermione shook her head and she looked a bit like a mop as her hair floated about. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"

"Are we convincing you yet?" Kate smiled forcedly.

"You can't go out," Neville began to shift from foot to foot nervously. "You'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," Harry sounded strained. He combed his fingers through his hair anxiously. "This is important."

"I won't let you do it," he scampered in front of the portrait hole. "I'll- I'll fight you!"

"_Neville!_ Get away from that hole and don't be an idiot-." Ron exploded, bright red to match his flaming hair.

"Don't you call me an idiot!" Neville cried, round face pink. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Double-edged sword," Kate cursed.

"Yes, but not to _us,_" Ron pulled at his hair. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing." He took a step towards Neville, who was shaking at the knees. Trevor hopped out of Neville's suddenly lax grip.

"Go on then! Try and hit me!" Neville raised his fists and flinched. "I'm ready!"

Harry turned to Hermione desperately. "_Do something_,"

Hermione sighed and pulled out her wand. "Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this."

Before Neville could react, she raised her wand and cried "_Petrificus__ Totalus!_"

Neville's arms and legs slapped to his sides as though triggered by some invisible spring. His body became as stiff as a board and he fell flat on his face.

Kate grimaced and rushed over to help him to his back. She felt as though his horrified eyes were shooting her.

"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.

"It's the full Body-Bind," Hermione was twiddling her fingers and her brow was knit. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."

"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," Harry said.

"You'll understand later, Neville," Ron said apologetically.

Kate opened up the invisibility cloak and beckoned to her friends to squeeze under it.

"It's lucky that Kate and Harry are so skinny or this would never work," Ron breathed as they crept down the corridor. In fact, Harry and Kate had to practically stand stomach to stomach to get this to work at all. As if that wasn't awkward enough, every time they heard the smallest sound they imagined Peeves attacking them or Filch coming at them with a whip.

The first obstacle they met (besides the process of walking) was Mrs. Norris, pacing in front of a stairwell. They managed to skirt around her, but it seemed to Kate that her eyes followed them the whole way down the steps. There were no more people around until they met Peeves in the act of loosening a carpet so that people would trip. He stopped.

"Who's there?" He squinted at them. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?" He went higher up to look at them from the top. "Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

Kate's heart was flopping like a fish out of water.

"Peeves," Harry said in a hoarse whisper that made Kate jump a bit. "The Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Kate had to stop herself from laughing as Peeves nearly fell to the floor, apologizing profusely.

"I have business here, Peeves, stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will. I hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you." He flew off.

"_Brilliant_!" Kate whispered. She wanted to hug him, but she sort of already was. It was mere seconds later that they were outside of the door, which stood ajar, leading to the forbidden third corridor.

"Well, there you are," Harry said softly. "Snape's already got past Fluffy."

_Or Quirrell, we'll find out soon._ Kate thought a bit nervously. Her heart sped up that much more as they entered. Then, to her surprise, Harry spoke again.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you. You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."

"Don't play Mr. Macho," Kate snapped, scolding herself for her own fears.

"Don't be stupid," Ron said.

"We're coming," Hermione finished.

As the door opened, they were greeted by the growls of the three-headed dog. Kate's first instinct was to run away, but upon closer inspection, she thought it was quite adorable and could even see where Hagrid felt a soft spot in his heart for it. The dog-heads sniffed at the invisible quartet.

"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered in Kate's ear.

"It's a harp," Kate said.

"Snape must have left it there," Ron mumbled.

"It must wake up the minute you stop playing." Harry whispered.

"Uh," Ron started. "Just out of curiosity, who's singing this beast to sleep?"

Nobody moved, yet Kate had the impression that everyone had just shifted to look at her.

"Crap," Kate sighed. "You guys all suck. Let me out of here."

Kate started shifting out from under the cloak, took a deep breath, and went.

"Fluffy lay your ugly heads, down upon your wretched… bed, close your eyes and go to sleep, rest your ugly hulking heap." To her amazement, Fluffy's eyes began to droop.

"What was that?" Ron hissed.

"Worked in the Frog Prince," Kate shrugged. Fluffy started growling again, so Kate started singing again. "A long, long time ago, I can still remember…."

"Keep singing," Harry warned as they all came out of the invisibility cloak.

"…knew that if I had one chance, that I could make those…."

"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," Ron inched closer to the trapdoor and peered cautiously at the slumbering Cerberus. "Want to go first Hermione?"

"No I don't!"

"All right," Ron grit his teeth and stepped cautiously over the dog's outstretched legs and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, pulling it up and open.

"…Miss American Pie…"

"What can you see?" Hermione was twisting her fingers in front of her and her jaw was trembling.

"Nothing- just black- there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to…" he swallowed "jump."

"Who's going first?" Hermione asked tremulously.

"…write the book of love and do you have faith in God above? And do you want to go now, I'm getting tired..." Kate continued singing the same tune. "Come on jump or I'll go nooooooowww! The players tried for a… oh those are the wrong lyrics, oh well! Somebody go now, s'il vous plaît!..."

"I think I'll go first," Harry said, smiling slightly. Then he looked meaningfully to Ron. "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"

"Right," said Ron.

Then Harry jumped. Kate's tone sank as her heart did. However, soon after Harry jumped he called up. Kate couldn't hear what he was saying over her singing (she had gotten to the crazy part about the king looking down and she always rocked that part, deadly sleeping dog or not.) Nevertheless, Ron and Hermione soon followed and Kate came soon after, still singing, mostly to herself at that point. She gave a final look to the sleeping dog and leapt.

Her stomach disappeared and she began to wonder if she was supposed to fall for this long.

The landing was soft, as if someone has left a bunch of dirty socks at the bottom of a hamper. But the scent was not rancid or malodorous like a load of used socks, it was earthier. Hermione was flipping out.

"Look at you both!" Was all Kate got a chance to hear before Hermione jumped up and struggled… why was she struggling?...towards a wall. Kate didn't understand at first, but she too leapt up and followed. Her ankle had a tendril of what seemed to be….

"Devil's Snare! Oh my gosh!" She ripped it off and joined Hermione, who was panting by the far wall.

"Stop moving!" Hermione instructed breathlessly. "I know what it is- it's Devil's Snare!"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help!" Ron lashed out as the plant curled around his neck.

"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" Hermione's eyes were clamped shut as she mentally searched her textbooks. Kate was tugging at her hair, still dizzy and disoriented from the fall.

"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry's face was turning an interesting shade of red as he wrestled the ever-curling plant away from his chest.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare… what did Professor Sprout say?- it likes the dark and damp-."

"So light a fire!" Harry struggled to say the words.

"Yes! Of course- but… there's no wood!" Hermione's eyes snapped open as she looked around waving her hands helplessly.

"Oh, Hermione!" Kate grabbed her wand just as Ron bellowed, at the end of his tether.

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

As Hermione finally was about to react, bright orange fire shot out of the tip of Kate's wand and caused the plant to react by curling away, in the process, releasing Harry and Ron from its grasp. They jumped up and scrambled to join the two girls by the wall, panting, hair plastered with sweat to their damp foreheads.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," Harry was wiping his face on his arm.

"Yeah," Ron breathed, hands on knees, "and lucky these two don't lose their heads in a crisis- 'there's no wood,' _honestly_."

"Let's go," Kate said, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu as they stared down a stone passageway.

"Right,"

The echoing of their footsteps seemed deafening next to the utter silence of the hall. Only the steady dripping of water accompanied them. Kate listened to Hermione's heavy breathing. It seemed she had nearly had a heart-attack back there. Ron's hands were trembling as he held his wand ahead of him. The floor sloped somewhat downward and made Kate think that they were heading straight into Hades. Harry's jaw was set and his eyes were glinting with determination.

"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.

Kate strained to hear what he was hearing and was soon rewarded with a soft rusting and clinking sound. _It sounds like birds with jewelry on_, she thought.

"Do you think it's a ghost?"

"Dunno- sounds more like wings to me."

"There's a light ahead- I can see something moving."

"Whoa-."

At the end of the corridor was a brightly lit chamber that had ceilings as high as any cathedral. Birds, dazzling and colorful flew above them, making an odd tinkling sound as they collided.

"Hold on," Kate muttered, as she tried to look closer. Something looked odd about them.

"There's a door," Harry whispered.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" Ron asked, eyes bright with anticipation.

"Probably. They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once… well, there's no other choice…."

"Let's run," Kate hissed. "One, two, three!" They sprinted across the chamber, holding their arms above their heads protectively until the reached the door. Nothing had touched them, which at first seemed lucky, but as soon as they attempted to lug open the door, the discovered it was immobile. Hermione tried her hand at spelling it open, but that was a failure as well.

"Now what?" Ron asked, looking vaguely relieved.

"These birds… they can't just be here for decoration," Hermione said, squinting up at them.

"Are they… metal?" Kate whispered.

"They're _keys_! Winged keys!" Harry looked amazed. Then he looked around the chamber quickly. "Look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"

"But there are _hundreds _of them!" Hermione cried.

Ron examined the door a bit more closely. "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one- probably silver, like the handle."

"Let's go, eh?" Kate said, clapping her hands together. They each grabbed a broomstick and shot into the cloud of birds, grabbing at any key they could, but the keys darted away. It wasn't long before Harry spotted the key they were after.

"That one!" He cried out. "That big one- there-."

"That one?" Kate pointed to a silver key. It looked too small-.

"No! That one. The one with bright blue wings- the feathers are all crumpled on one side."

Ron sped away after it, but it got out of the way and Ron smashed into the ceiling.

"Good move, you feeling all right there, Speedy McSpeed?" Kate asked, rushing to his aid.

"Little dizzy," Ron shook his head.

"We've got to close in on it!" Harry instructed, still focused intently on the key. "Ron, you come at it from above- Kate you come from that side, Hermione stay below and stop it going down and I'll try to catch it. Right, NOW!"

Ron dived, Kate darted at it, Hermione rocketed upward, eyes closed in terror. Harry, however, was the one who pinned it to the wall with one hand, a look of intensity on his face. They landed quickly. Kate slapped Harry on the back and they jammed the key into the lock and turned. He released the key and held the handle down.

"Ready?" Harry asked them, green eyes bright.

"_Oui_," Kate agreed. Ron and Hermione nodded and they watched as the door opened.

The room was so dark that they were nearly blind, but as soon as they completely crossed the threshold, an astonishing amount of light flooded the room and they were momentarily unable to see. However, once their eyes adjusted, they saw what appeared to be an enormous chessboard with chessmen the size of trolls. They stood behind the black pieces, which they had to look up to in order to see their faces. Across the chamber were the imposing white pieces. Kate felt distinctly ill. They all shivered slightly- the white chessmen had no faces.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron said. "We've got to play our way across the room."

Kate peered behind the white pieces and saw another door.

"How?" Hermione said softly.

"I think we're going to have to be…" Ron looked at the black pieces, "chessmen."

"Oh," Kate whispered, unable to find her voice.

Ron wandered over behind a knight and put out a trembling hand to touch it. At once, it sprang to life and the horse pawed the ground. The knight turned to look at Ron through his visor.

"Do we- er- have to join you to get across?"

The knight nodded. It was a solemn gesture. Ron turned, ashen faced back to the other two.

"This needs thinking about…" he looked up and down the board. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces…."

Harry, Hermione and Kate stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally, Ron spoke again.

"Now, don't be offended or anything, but none of you are exactly… that great… at chess-."

"We're not offended," Harry said quickly as Hermione and Kate nodded encouragingly. "Just tell us what to do."

"Well, Harry, you take the place of the bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle, and Kate can go and take the place of the… other castle." He looked rather ill.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to be a knight."

The chessmen seemed to have heard and understood what Ron had said for four of them walked off the board and left four empty spaces that the four friends took.

"White always plays first in chess," Ron stared nervously across the board. "Yes… look…."

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Kate was glad to be a castle because that allowed her to hide behind a few pawns for the beginning of the game. She became even gladder to have a guard when a pawn was taken for the first time- smashed over the head by the queen and dragged ruthlessly and motionlessly off the board. He didn't move again.

"Had to let that happen," Ron looked ill. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on." Hermione inched forward, looking on the verge of fainting.

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no pity. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. A few times, and only just in time, Ron noticed that Harry, Kate or Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

Kate stood facing the white queen from over a few pawns. Her blank face stared back at Kate.

"We're nearly there," Ron's voice made Kate jump. "Let me think- let me think…."

The queen turned away from Kate to look at Ron.

"Yes," Ron said gently. "It's the only way… I've got to be taken."

"WHAT!"

"NO!"

"That's chess!" Ron snapped. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward, and she'll take me- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But-."

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron-."

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

Kate felt hot stinging tears leaking from her eyes as she watched him steel his face.

"Ready?" Ron called. "Here I go- now, don't hang around once you've won."

Ron took the step and no sooner had he done so then the queen pounced like a hungry panther and smacked him hard across the head. Ron fell to the floor. Kate covered her eyes and Hermione screamed, but they stayed on their squares.

"He's only been knocked out, he's only been knocked out, he's only…." Kate stared at him lying prone on the floor.

Harry moved three spaces to the left, trembling all the way.

Then the white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. Kate started moving towards Ron but Harry grabbed Kate's hand and he, Hermione and she bolted through the door and into the next hall.

"What if he's-."

"He'll be all right," Harry and Kate chimed.

"What do you reckon's next?"

"We've had Sprout's, that was Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's…."

Another door loomed before them. The smell creeping beneath the door gave Kate the feeling that this room belonged to Quirrell.

"All right?" Harry whispered.

"Let's go,"

Harry pushed it open.

"Oh my gosh," Kate muttered, eyes watering. They saw, flat on the ground, a troll at least eighteen feet tall, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.

"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they carefully stepped over one of its massive legs. Kate, who suddenly realized she was still holding Harry's hand, squeezed nervously. "Come on, I can't breathe."

The next door opened to reveal nothing terrible, only a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"

They stepped through the doorway and jumped as a fire sprang up behind them. Not just a fire though; a purple fire while the other doorway held a black fire that did not look inviting. They were trapped.

"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry and Hermione read it while Kate looked at the bottles, trying to decide what they held and if they would put a fire out if they were dumped on the flames. The next room, she knew, held Quirrell and Voldemort. She didn't know why she thought Voldemort was there, but she felt it.

Hermione sighed enormously, causing Kate to jump about a foot in the air.

"_Brilliant,_ this isn't magic- it's logic- a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

"But so will we, won't we?" Harry asked, staring at Hermione as though she had just announced that she was going to become a dragon.

"Of course not," Hermione said, holding the paper lovingly, "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."

"But how do we know which to drink?"

"Give me a minute."

Kate and Harry watched Hermione read the paper several more times and then she walked up and down the line of bottles, pointing at them and then referring back to the paper. Finally, she clapped her hands eagerly together.

"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire- toward the Stone."

Harry looked at the tiny bottle.

"There's only enough in there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow."

"I know what you're thinking, Harry," Kate muttered.

"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?" Harry ignored her.

Hermione pointed at a fat bottle at the end of the line.

"You drink that," Hermione was about to protest when Harry cut her off, "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy- go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm not match for him, really."

"But Harry- what if You-Know-Who is with him?"

"That's what I'm here for," Kate chirped.

"You're not going with him, are you?" Hermione looked astounded.

"Too right I am," Kate said fervently.

"But there's not enough in there for both of us," Harry said sternly.

"Oh, don't be stupid, of course there is. This isn't the last beverage in the universe, you can take a sip and I'll take a sip," Kate snapped.

"Well- well-," Hermione was trembling.

"Fine," Harry agreed, seeing that Kate wasn't going to budge. "But you drink first, Hermione. If there's not enough left in the little bottle, Kate, then you're following her. You are sure which is which, aren't you?"

"Positive," said Hermione. Then she flung herself at them and hugged them. "Sorry," she blushed. And she took a drink and shuddered. "Ugh, it's like ice."

"Quick, go before it wears off."

"Good luck-."

"GO!"

She turned off and walked straight through the flames.

Kate grabbed the bottle. "Small sip, or I will kill you," Kate said to him. "There's enough in here for both of us."

He grinned at her, trying not to laugh in the heat of the moment. "Kate, I'm kind of glad you're so annoyingly stubborn." He took a sip and cringed, handing the bottle back to her.

"Cheers," Kate said. She drained the rest. It felt as though her body _had_ filled with ice. She thought snow might have been lining her veins. Taking Harry's hand again they stepped through the black flame.

_Here it comes,_ she thought. _Proof, death or victory. _

"Now doesn't seem like a time for 'I told you so,'" Kate mumbled, staring at Quirrell uneasily.

"_You_!" Harry gasped.

Quirrell looked completely at ease with the situation, smiling a bit wryly. He wasn't twitching at all. Kate had wondered if that had been a show.

"Me," Quirrell said smugly. He looked from Kate to Harry. "I'd half-expected Potter to show, but Slate, you're a bit of a surprise."

"I'm full of them," Kate spat.

"But I thought- Snape-." Harry continued.

"Severus?" Quirrell's attention returned to Harry and laughed in a malicious way. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

"I would," Kate let go of Harry's hand and glared at Quirrell.

"But Snape tried to kill me!" Harry cried.

"No, no, no. _I _tried to kill you. If your friend Miss Granger hadn't knocked me over as she was rushing to set fire to Snape, I would have got you off the broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you."

Kate felt an amazing blend of relief and fury at these words.

"Snape was trying to _save _me?"

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was even trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really… he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning- he _did _make himself unpopular… and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."

Quirrell snapped his fingers and ropes sprang out of thin air, wrapping themselves tightly about Harry. Kate, however, had dived out of the way as the ropes appeared, falling to the floor hard on her knees. Scrambling out of his line of vision, she found herself crouching behind a mirror. The Mirror of Erised. Her knees pulsated with pain.

"Slate!" Quirrell whirled around. She watched his feet from under the mirror. He had been so preoccupied with checking to see that Harry was securely tied up that he had missed her flying off. "You can't hide in here, Slate, the room isn't _that_ big,"

He was right of course. She didn't really know what she was trying to accomplish by crouching behind the mirror. Maybe simply distracting him for long enough would spare their lives until Dumbledore could fly to the rescue. She stared down at the flagstone floor, trying to listen to what Quirrell was doing. She jumped up quickly as she realized he was standing behind her. Quirrell's beady eyes studied her closely. She was frozen. It was as though he had seen her for the first time and realized that she was a long-lost sister or something the way he was looking at her.

"Go stand next to Potter and you needn't be hurt," he said composedly, walking towards her. Shaking herself, she darted away from him but was soon bound up as Harry was, except she was hovering in the hair. Quirrell set her down by Harry and smiled a bit triumphantly. Kate glared at him. "I must say, Slate, I have always admired how you would wear those hideous spectacles. Very brave of you." Kate blushed.

"Insulting me will get you nowhere, Quirrell," her voice was stronger than she felt.

"I would hardly call admiration an insult. Now you two wait quietly while I examine this interesting mirror."

Harry looked at Kate and Kate looked back at him. She shook her head and mouthed "weirdo." He mouthed "what should we do?" Kate mouthed back "anything."

"The mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell tapped around the frame with his wand and thumb. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this… but he's in London… I'll be far away by the time he gets back…."

Kate nodded at Harry.

"I saw you and Snape in the forest-." Harry blurted.

"Yes," Quirrell said idly, walking around to look at the back of the mirror. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me- as though he could, I had Lord Voldemort on my side…."

Kate was going to say something scathing but thought better of it.

"I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it?"

"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."

"Oh, he does, heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you _dead_."

"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing- I thought Snape was threatening you,"

To Kate's surprise, Quirrell's face twinged a bit at the mention of this incident.

"Sometimes," he said cautiously, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions- he is a great wizard and I am weak-."

"You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped.

"He is with me wherever I go," Quirrell softly articulated, "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it…. Since then I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me. He does not… forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me… decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me…."

"Is he watching you right now?" Kate asked quickly.

Quirrell responded quietly. "Yes. He always is."

"Where is he?" Kate continued. She noticed Harry shuffling to the side, trying to look in the mirror.

Quirrell glared at Kate as though she were being insolent. Harry toppled over, but Quirrell ignored him. "He is with me, very close to me,"

"Is he with you when you take showers?" Kate asked without really thinking.

Quirrell looked at her as though she were mad. Then he shook his head and turned back to the mirror.

He prodded it some more. Kate tried to think of something that would distract him again. "What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

And that was when she heard the voice of evil.

"Use the boy… use the boy…."

Quirrell wheeled around to look at Harry.

"Yes- Potter- come here." He clapped his hands only once and Harry's ropes fell away. Kate continued to be bound. Harry got slowly to his feet. "Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."

Kate stared at Quirrell and Harry as they gazed into the mirror together. Harry trembled slightly on the spot but stopped and looked intrigued as though the mirror was telling him something. Minutes passed this way and Harry's face melted into a look of surprise and then back to the look of quiet determination he had adopted this year. Kate sank to her knees because they were buckling and she feared she might topple as Harry had.

"Well, what do you see?" Quirrell asked impatiently.

Harry did not sound convincing as he said "I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore. I- I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."

Quirrell cursed.

"Get out of the way,"

Harry moved back towards Kate, eyes wildly searching the place.

"He lies… he lies…."

"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you see?"

"I told you what I saw."

Quirrell marched back and grabbed Kate by the ear. "You tell me, or she will pay for your lies."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Kate snapped. Her ear hurt as he pulled her to her feet. She began to lean sideways, her balance off.

Harry began to look unsure. "I told you what I saw! You can't hurt her for the truth!"

Quirrell released her ear as she swore violently in pain. He clapped his hands again and her ropes were undone. He grabbed her roughly by the hair and yanked her up again. She called him a name that she had never verbally used before.

"Harry, if you're telling the truth," Kate grimaced, "then don't back down for my sake."

"Let me speak to him," the high-pitched voice came again. "Face-to-face…."

Quirrell shuddered. "Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough… for this…."

Quirrell dropped Kate to the floor again and began to unwrap his turban. Kate stared up, petrified. She couldn't move from the floor. What could be beneath that turban? Quirrell had finally lost the turban and he turned slowly around. Kate's mouth dropped open in horror and she quickly clapped her hands to her mouth.

Where the back of Quirrell's head should have been was a face, a hideous face with snake-like slits for nostrils, glittering red eyes and chalk-white skin.

"Harry Potter," it whispered. "See what I have become? Mere shadow and vapor… I have form only when I can share another's body… but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…. Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest… and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own…. Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

Kate suddenly looked wide-eyed at Harry, who stumbled back a step.

"Don't be a fool," the face snarled, "Better save your own life and join me… or you'll meet the same end as your parents…. They died begging me for mercy…."

"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.

Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.

Kate got slowly to her feet and saw that Quirrell's eyes were scrunched shut as though this were hurting him. She crept slowly around as Voldemort was talking.

"How touching… I always value bravery…. Yes boy, your parents were brave…. I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight… but your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you…."

Kate leapt at him, tackling him to the ground. "RUN, HARRY!" She shouted, sitting on Quirrell's stomach and trying to pin his arms down. "TAKE THE STONE AND GO!"

Quirrell's eyes snapped open as Voldemort hissed. Harry was torn between helping Kate and running.

"JUST GO! GO!" She screamed as Quirrell's hands thrashed up to get her neck. She tried avoiding him, punching him in the face.

"STOP HIM!" Voldemort spat. "Don't kill her, but stop _him_,"

Quirrell, through a swelling eye, grabbed Kate's neck and was quickly on top of her. She couldn't breathe. She flailed, trying to get out from under him. He looked crazed, ready to kill her. He slammed her head down again, knocking her glasses askew.

"DON'T KILL HER!" Voldemort ordered. Kate was confused and dizzy, seeing tiny black spots and stars. Harry was running at them, ready to stop Quirrell, but a bright red light flashed before her eyes and she was drifting away. It was strange, because she thought she heard Voldemort whispering to her as she fell.

"_Ugly Kate… I could make you beautiful, powerful, if you would have me…._"


	17. End of Year One

**_O_**dd how the path just goes on forever one way. There has to be a turn somewhere. Kate ran further still and finally there was. She had to choose a path. They weren't clear yet… not clear at all. Something silver dripped down her inner-thigh and….

"Harry!" Kate sat up, in a flash remembering where she was… or where she actually wasn't. It seemed that she was in the hospital wing. Again. Of course, she couldn't see very well, so she felt around on the bedside table until she felt her glasses. After jamming them on, she looked to her right and saw Harry sitting up in his own bed and grinning at her. "Harry!" She repeated joyously. "You're okay! Oh my gosh! I thought you were going to die! I thought I was dead! What are you smiling about?"

Harry was still grinning. "I'm just wicked glad you're okay and that the Stone is out Voldemort's hands." Harry quickly explained to Kate everything that Professor Dumbledore had told him, about Quirrell, Voldemort, the Stone, and Flamel.

"Wow," Kate sat back against her pillow. "So Quirrell tried to kill you but he couldn't even touch you."

"That's because when… when my mum died, she died to save me and I guess… I guess that's a magic of its own," he said softly. Kate nodded, feeling suddenly a slight twinge of guilt and sympathy.

"How long have I been out?" Kate looked around, noticing piles of sweets and get-well cards.

"Three days," Harry said, smiling again.

"That's got to be some teenager record or something," Kate put a hand to her head. "I thought sleeping 'til eleven was bad, but I guess not. Uh… Harry," Kate started awkwardly.

"Yeah?"

"Did… did you hear Voldemort say something to me just as I was knocked out?"

"How do you mean?" Harry asked, brows furrowed.

"Just when I was Stupefied, did he say something to me that was trying to… never mind," Kate saw that Harry looked confused.

"Actually, I was wondering something that you might be able to answer," Harry said after a moment's pause. "Why didn't Voldemort want you dead?"

"I don't know," Kate shrugged. "I really have no idea." Then she looked back to the pile of sweets. "Ice Mice, what are these?" She pulled out the box and opened it, pulling a quarter-length ice-blue mouse out. "Aw, they're shaped like mice, cartoon-style. Should I try one?"

"Yes," Harry encouraged.

"You should too, if I'm going to. I don't trust this wizarding candy."

"No way,"

"Do it,"

"We'll have to go at the same time," Harry said, reluctantly. Kate tossed him one, which he caught deftly in his left hand.

"On the count of three,"

"Right,"

"One, two, three!" They popped them in and their eyes became wide as the strong mint flavor attacked their mouths. Their teeth started to make odd squeaking noises.

"Oh, you're up, Miss Slate," Madam Pomfrey bustled in. "Professor Dumbledore wanted me to tell you to go to his office as soon as you were well enough." Pomfrey looked at Kate and Harry with a look of puzzlement on her face. "What is making that bizarre noise?"

Kate lifted the box of Ice Mice and showed her. Finally, she was able to swallow it and she opened her mouth. Mist escaped in a puff of opaque vapor and Harry soon did the same.

"Cool," she grinned and then looked back to Madam Pomfrey. "I'm feeling all right n-."

"I'll be the judge of that," Madam Pomfrey cut in. Closing the curtain around Kate's bed, she performed a standard check-up and after much consideration, declared Kate in a state to leave. Madam Pomfrey told her the way to Professor Dumbledore's office and the password to get in. After she had gotten dressed, she told Harry she'd be up to visit and to guard her gifts, and left the room. She was pretty energetic as she left, but also extremely pensive. However, she didn't have much time to think as she entered another corridor and some passing second years stopped her in her tracks.

"You're Kathryn Slate, aren't you?"

"Yes," Kate raised an eyebrow curiously.

The girls chattered excitedly.

"Were you in the room with Harry Potter when he defeated You-Know-Who again?"

Kate laughed. "Yeah, sure,"

"What happened?" A blond-haired girl asked eagerly, standing on tiptoe in her curiosity.

"Not really sure," Kate said honestly, "I was knocked out for most of it."

Their faces fell.

"Oh, well, are you feeling better now?"

"Quite, thanks for asking. But I sort of have to go," and she took off down the corridor. She was overtaken again by other groups and asked the same questions until she finally made it to the gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office.

"Reeses' Pieces," Kate whispered. The gargoyle sprang to life and leapt out of the way. She stepped into a circular room with nothing but a spiral staircase inside. It moved up rather like an escalator, she discovered as she stepped on. Up and up it went until finally she landed in what seemed to be a study of sorts, for it was filled with books and strange silver objects that danced where they sat or hummed and whirred. Portraits lined the walls of past headmasters and mistresses, some of whom were missing or sleeping, others smiled and greeted Kate kindly. On one edge of the room was a desk and on either side were chairs. What caught Kate most by surprise was an amazingly plumaged bird. She walked cautiously over towards it to inspect it more closely. It had feathers like fire and sunset and intelligent golden eyes. It tilted its head at Kate.

"Hello," she said softly. "You're very pretty. I've never seen a bird like you before," she lifted a cautious finger and began to stroke the bird's head.

"I see you've met Fawkes, my phoenix," Dumbledore strode into the room, bright blue eyes alight.

"Hello Professor," Kate said formally, nearly curtseying. She realized that, though she had heard loads of things about him, she had actually never met Professor Dumbledore and was rather in awe of having been called to speak with him.

Professor Dumbledore stood next to his chair. "Please, take a seat. I've wanted to speak with you for quite some time. Though you attend my school, I fear I have never had the opportunity," he smiled playfully.

Kate laughed a bit. "Not to sound rude, but why've you wanted to speak with me?"

"Any first year who can make the entire Gryffindor common room laugh for a full minute is clearly worth my attention," Dumbledore smiled.

Kate blushed. "I snorted, it couldn't be helped."

"The end justifies the means," Dumbledore leaned forward onto his desk and looked at her over his half-moon spectacles. "However, there is a more serious vein we must travel. I have heard Mr. Potter's version of what happened with Quirrell, but I have yet to hear yours, and according Mr. Potter, not only did you suspect Quirrell from the start but he chose to spare your life under Voldemort's orders." Dumbledore's eyes became more intense and serious. "Do you have any idea why he would choose to do such a thing?"

It was Kate's turn to sigh. "No, I haven't got a clue."

"Please, tell me everything you can,"

"All right," Kate told him everything she remembered- except for the last thing she had thought she heard Voldemort say. She was fairly confident that her mind had invented that as she had gone blank and that would be an extremely weird thing to say anyway.

Dumbledore's frown had creased all parts of his face as he sat in what seemed to be thought.

"I am afraid that I have nothing to tell you," Dumbledore sighed, sitting up straight. "Is there anything else that you would like to tell me?"

Kate's mind was blank. "Not that I know of,"

"Well, thank you for speaking with me, Miss Slate,"

"Thank you," Kate smiled.

And with that, she left his office, pausing to take a final look around before exiting. Almost immediately upon her departure, she found herself being lifted out of the air.

"Kathryn Slate!"

"AH!" She cried out as she was whirled around by strong arms and finally dropped.

"How dare you go and risk your life when I told you to be careful?" Oliver Wood glowered over her as he shook her by the shoulders. "You could have died, Slate!"

"And if you don't stop shaking me, you'll kill me," Kate's head flopped around. He released her and grinned.

"I'm glad you're all right, Slate," he ruffled her hair. "How's Potter doing?"

"He's fine," Kate smiled.

"Yeah…." Wood looked off, no longer looking quite as happy. "Ravenclaw destroyed us without him. I feel a little bad about how I treated him now. Slytherin won the house cup, by the way."

"There's a surprise," Kate said sarcastically.

"I guess there's always next year," Wood sighed heavily. "Hey, I'll walk you back to Gryffindor," he put an arm around her shoulders and shepherded her towards the tower. No sooner had they arrived did Hermione's eager squeak reach her ears and Ron cried out.

"KATE!" They bolted towards her, clearly just returning from the hospital wing.

"I'll let you to them," Wood said, punching her playfully on the arm and then climbing through the portrait hole.

"When Harry said you'd left to see Dumbledore-."

"You should have waited for us," Ron said indignantly.

"Ron," Kate grabbed him by the arms. "How are _you _feeling?"

"Oh, I'm right as rain," he said. "Pomfrey took care of me in a jiff. Took her _ages _to figure out why you weren't reacting to _Enervate,_ but I guess Quirrell used some dark magic to knock you out and it took a load out of you."

"You looked very pale," Hermione said timidly.

"Paler than usual, you mean?" Kate grinned. "On a different note, when do we get exam results back?"

"Day after tomorrow," Hermione said eagerly.

"How thrilling," Ron muttered. "Feast's tomorrow, though. I hope Pomfrey lets Harry go."

"Wonder why she didn't make _you_ stay another night…." Hermione said as she finally decided to crawl through the portrait hole.

"Obviously thought she was all right, didn't she?" Ron said, following Hermione.

"I _am_ all right," Kate said as she stepped through to the other side. The common room was pretty sparse, most people outside enjoying the weather. A few Gryffindors greeted them and some looked at Kate and asked her what had happened. She stuck to her story and spent the rest of the afternoon playing exploding snap with Hermione and Ron.

**_T_**he Great Hall looked as though someone had put a gigantic green blanket over the whole thing. Silver and green draped every surface and a huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the teacher's table to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row.

"Sickening," Ron muttered to Kate as they sat next to each other. Hermione reserved a seat next to herself from Harry. "Absolutely disgusting. You'd think Dumbledore would have given us some points for fighting off Quirrell-."

"You know what," Kate said, leaning back and crossing her arms. "I just remembered something."

"What?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I believe that Ron must now worship me as the… what was it exactly… as the 'girl-who-was-right-against-all-odds.' Does that sound familiar, Ron?" Kate grinned deviously.

"Oh bollocks," Ron turned magenta. "You remembered."

Hermione giggled.

Almost everyone was seated and last to enter was Harry Potter. He looked so small and shy. How could he really be the hero he was said to be? An instant hush spread over the chamber as people stood to look at him. A second passed and everyone started speaking loudly at once. Harry was pink in the cheeks as he took his seat next to Hermione. Kate kicked him from under the table and made an exaggerated face pretending to stare at him in amazement.

"Oh, go drown yourself," he said, trying to shove away his smile.

Dumbledore arrived moments later. The chatter died quickly as everyone turned to face the headmaster.

"Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been!" His face was creased in a smile. "Hopefully your heads are a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts….

"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and sixty-two points; in third, Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

The Slytherin table roared and cheered in triumph. Judging by Harry and Hermione's sickened expressions, the sight was not a pleasant one.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin," Dumbledore gave them a smile. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

Everyone froze, everyone wanted to know what he meant. Kate, Ron, Harry, and Hermione all leaned towards him a bit more, looking slightly expectant and hopeful.

"Ahem. I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes….

"First- to Mr. Ronald Weasley…" Ron's neck turned pink. "…for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Gryffindor erupted with cheers. Kate slapped Ron on the back. Percy could be heard saying to the other prefects "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

Finally, there was silence again.

"Second- to Miss Hermione Granger… for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Kate watched as Hermione buried her face in her arms. Her back was heaving suggesting that she was probably crying. Gryffindors along the table were ecstatic with laughter and clapping- they were one hundred points up.

"Third- to Miss Kathryn Slate…" Kate felt her cheeks become warm as everyone at the table turned to look at her. "…for her delightful singing and exceptional loyalty and bravery, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Ron punched Kate in the arm. Kate was laughing and crying at the same time. She and Harry looked at each other and smiled. Again, the room went quiet as Dumbledore prepared to speak again.

"Fourth- to Mr. Harry Potter…" it seemed the room had stopped breathing, "…for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

People at Gryffindor table shouted themselves to exhaustion, jumping up and down like loons. They were tied with Slytherin! Oh! If only Dumbledore had thought to provide Harry with one extra point! But- Dumbledore motioned for the room to become silent again.

"There are all kinds of courage," Dumbledore smiled, "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

The Great Hall echoed with the shouts of euphoric students. Everyone at Gryffindor table had stood up to yell and cheer. Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry nudged Hermione who smiled with evil pleasure. Kate and Ron turned to look as well. Draco Malfoy looked as though someone had performed the Body-Bind Curse on him.

Kate leaned across the table and hugged Hermione and Harry then went back to hug Ron. Finally, the Gryffindors settled a bit as Dumbledore shouted over them.

"Which means we need a little change of decoration."

Silver was replaced by gold and green by red. A towering Gryffindor lion took the place of the Slytherin serpent behind the staff table. Kate saw McGonagall crying with joy.

_This,_ Kate thought, _must be the best day of my life._

Kate was astounded to find out that she was second in the class only to Hermione. Her marks had been quite good, actually, especially considering all the stress she had been under. Harry and Ron hadn't done half bad. Even Neville had made it through. Neville seemed to have forgiven them for cursing him after winning his ten points and especially considering they had stopped Voldemort again. Hermione had insisted on comparing all of their grades, especially Kate's. As it turned out, she had tied with her on everything except Charms.

"Next year," Kate threatened jokingly, "I will destroy you in Charms."

Hermione smiled, unsure whether to laugh or not.

Seamus wasted no time in informing Kate that he and Dean were going to a Quidditch match over the summer and Dean told her just as quickly that they were going to a football match as well.

"I expect more posters, then," Kate said.

"Okay," they chimed.

The school became empty of student belongings and everyone was given a note warning them not to use magic over the holidays. Fred and George sighed unhappily as they pocketed them. Hagrid took them on the fleet of boats and sailed back across the lake. Kate paused to give Hagrid a good-bye hug.

"Send me an owl, 'kay?"

"Of course, Kate,"

Everyone boarded the Hogwarts Express. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Kate shared a compartment and talked about anything and everything as they got closer to home. Kate and Hermione exchanged phone numbers but Kate just told Ron to send her an owl.

"I might be going to America over the summer," Kate explained. "I'll bring back some souvenirs."

"See if you can get your hands on a Quodpot," Ron encouraged.

"I'm afraid I'll be visiting Muggles,"

"Don't stay there too long," Harry begged. "I don't think I can take an entire summer alone."

"Oh, I'll invite you over this summer," Ron slapped Harry on the back as they pulled into the platform. "All of you."

People called out to Harry, saying goodbye.

"Still famous," Ron grinned at him.

"Not where I'm going, I promise you,"

"You'll always be famous with me, Harry," Kate clapped him on the shoulder.

Kate, Harry, Ron and Hermione passed through the gateway together, saying their final adieus.

"Look! Mom! There he is! Look!" Little Ginny Weasley pointed at Harry, practically jumping up and down in delight. "Harry Potter!" She squealed. "Look, Mom! I can see-."

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."

Mrs. Weasley smiled at the four of them.

"Busy year?"

"Very," Harry nodded. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh it was nothing dear,"

"Hi Mrs. Weasley," Kate beamed up at her, "I'm Kate Slate, Ron's pal,"

Mrs. Weasley smiled pleasantly back at her. "Are you also a first year student?"

"Second year," Ron corrected, "as of us passing the exams! Oh, and this is Hermione," Ron responded to Hermione nudging him and clearing her throat. Hermione cleared her throat again. "Granger. Hermione Granger."

"It's very nice to meet you too, dear," Mrs. Weasley's smile only grew wider. She looked to both Kate and Hermione. "Where are your parents?"

"Dunno," Kate responded. "Probably lost somewhere."

So she looked around for them.

"I've got to go," she said as she saw them looking through the crowd for her. "Talk to you all later!"

"See ya, Slate!" She heard someone call to her. She turned blindly and waved sad and glad that she was going home at last.


End file.
